WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A TRUE SON?

In one of my previous blogs called “Spiritual Father vs Mentor Understanding the Difference for Your Faith Journey” we looked at the difference between a spiritual father and mentor or teacher.  In this blog I want to take a moment and let us look at the characteristics of a true son in the faith.  Paul speaks in his relationship with Timothy and Titus as being true sons in the faith.

In his letter to the church in Phillippi:

Philippians 2:20-22 NKJV

(20)  For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state.

(21)  For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus.

(22)  But you know his proven character, that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel.

Here Paul clearly states that he has no one like Timothy, there is no one of such a kindred a spirit.  Timothy was a true son and carried the same manner of life and mindset that Paul carried.

True sons will display the following attributes:

• True sons have a desire to know and receive what’s in the spiritual father’s heart. False sons just want what is in the spiritual father’s hand and what he can give to them.

In other words true sons want the spiritual wisdom and impartation that the father has to share that can enhance their ministry and catapult them into a greater anointing and effectiveness for Jesus Christ. False sons just want money or the “connections” the spiritual father has.

• True sons will never sever ties with their spiritual fathers. False sons sever ties after they are through using the spiritual father. The true son continues to learn and grow through their spiritual father’s ministry and receive their spiritual father’s counsel even if they are sent out to plant another church in another city or country or do missions work.

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  True sons enhance their father’s ministry.  True sons have a desire to continue seeing the ministry of their father grow and develop and are actively building with the father. False sons drain the spiritual father’s ministry, always looking how they can benefit themselves and their own ministries.

• True sons are teachable and correctable. True sons have a desire to be circumcised and trained by the father. False sons refuse to bow their necks at correction and often leave or sow discord when corrected.
• True sons can be trusted to carry out instructions even when their spiritual father is absent. False sons do their own thing when the spiritual father is not looking.
• True sons honor their spiritual fathers. False sons disrespect the spiritual father. Some will even try to take over the church of their

  

  father.

 The question then is for us to search our hearts and ask ourselves, AM I A TRUE OR A FALSE SON to my spiritual father?