Imagine your baby (continued)

Imagine your baby, a new convert you brought to the Lord. It may be your neighbor who for the moment looks at you as if you were an alien, or your uncle or coworker. God gives it to you as an inheritance. The Apostle Paul said to the Philippian : "For God is my witness that I will cherish you all with the tenderness of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1: 8). I knew a couple of old Christians who had never had children. Yet, they had more children than the majority of parents. They had spiritual children everywhere, they had gained a lot.

The people you bring to the Lord will remain in your heart. You will care about their spiritual health, you will love them with a particular love. Your baby will be special because it's yours. Imagine your baby. God gives it to you. This baby, you will have to take care of it, you will have to follow it and take care of it. It will be necessary to give him the milk of the Word of God. Do not leave him alone, do not abandon him once you have born him.

"We did not seek the glory that comes from men, from you or from others. We could have imposed ourselves as an apostle of Christ, but we were full of kindness among you. Just as a mother takes a tender care of her children, we would have wished, in our keen affection for you, not only to give you the Gospel of God, but also our own life, so dear had you become to us. You remember, brothers and sisters, our sorrow and our fatigue : it is by working night and day, to be not in charge of any of you, that we have preached the Gospel of God to you. You are witnesses of it, and so is God ; we have behaved to you who believe in a holy, just and irreproachable manner. You also know that we have been for each of you, what a father is for his children : we have encouraged you, comforted and begged to walk in a manner worthy of God who calls you to his kingdom and his glory." (1 Thessalonians 2: 6-12)

Jeremy Sourdril