Saturday, June 19, 2010
Today's Passage: 1 Corinthians 4:15 (NKJV)
Memory Verse: Hebrews 12:6-8 (Message)
Before considering yourself an educated person, you'd have to attend a lot of school, thus enduring a lot of teachers. Every teacher will impact your life in some way. Just think, they spend at least 90 days within a school year instructing, guiding, and advising you. Hats off to the teachers who have gone above and beyond. These are the ones who make you feel like they've invested in you. The last thing you'd ever want to do is let them down. Each day they challenge your strengths, and have patience for your weaknesses. With all that said and done, they don't even scratch the surface of who a "father" is.
1 Corinthians 4:15 (NKJV), says "For though you might have 10,000 instructors, you don't have many fathers." Paul's statement is not a slight to teachers by any stretch of the imagination. It just draws the line to the roles each position plays. For instance, as we mentioned before, most teachers are great people. They do the best they can to make sure their students know what's being taught them. Lately, teachers have become parents, nurses, psychologists, law enforcement officers, and mentors now that the landscape of the education system has offered so many challenges. However, it's all done on a temporary basis, for a temporary purpose. Fathers, conversely, are forever. Not only do they teach us things for a lifetime, but also their teaching is not limited to the 3 R's. Teachers can only teach with the hopes you will understand the subject matter as the year goes along. Fathers "walk" with us step by step. You'll find them when you're being applauded for getting it all right, and you'll find them when you're all alone after getting it wrong. Their chastisement is just as impactful as their reward.
Listen, friends, it's okay to have teachers, but to get anywhere in life you have to have someone "fathering" you. You need that covering, that protection, and that favor. Those of you who have ministry in them and pastoring is in the plan for you, don't do it until you've established for yourself a Godly covering. you can never plant and/or raise up an effective ministry if you don't have anyone to be accountable to. Elisha needed an Elijah. Joshua needed Moses. Ruth needed Naomi, and Silas/Timothy needed Paul. Those are only a few examples of the relationship I'm talking about. I was an adult before I learned how to be a man. After submitting my life totally to Christ, I asked a man named Ray Willis to be my spiritual father. Now I have many teachers (again, nothing wrong with that), and they mean the world to me, but Ray Willis walked me through the nuances of man and fatherhood. His loving hand didn't always feel good. Neither does God's. And we all know God chasens those He loves. However, he's always there when I need him. Now I get that kind of fathering to a greater degree from Chad Willis (his son). It all works out for me. It'll work out for you too.
Incidently, I have a few spiritual sons myself now. So as they look to me for guidance and truth, I don't have to create anything. I just offer them the same covering that's being offered to me. That's the way it works, folks. So the challenge this Father's Day is to find your father. Yes, you should spend the day offering love and appreciation to your biological father, but find your spiritual father as well. Let that person guide you through your life. Know that accountability to a trusted one is not only a good thing, it's a God thing. God bless and Happy Father's Day!!!
Prayer: Thank You, Lord, for being such a loving Father. You are the pattern of perfection for every "dad" on Earth. True love for our children can only come from you, but Lord, we as adults need the covering, guidance, and favor that comes from a loving father also. Happy father's Day to the BEST Father ever. We love You God....forever! In Jesus' name, Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment