Thoughts on Scripture

As I sat in morning prayer at the Hartley Institute this morning, the Lord quickened my heart to read 1 Corinthians 4. A couple of verses 'jumped' off the page and into my heart in a new way.

"For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers." (v.15)

I couldn't read on for a bit after my eyes had been arrested by this verse above. Was the apostle Paul using hyperbole to make a point? Even if he was, the reality of this verse today is striking. In our hyper-connected world through cyber-space and media, we can receive instruction in Christ from nearly any corner of the globe at a click. I often hear people saying (and myself too), "Oh, I listened to this great sermon by 'so and so'...I'll send you the link so you can hear it too!"

We could spend countless hours every day listening to great teachings by great men and women of faith who inspire us, open up the Word of God and challenge us to go higher in the Lord. I'm not criticizing this in any way, but Paul's comment, which is truly prophetic in nature as well, caused me to pause again and ask: WHERE ARE THE FATHERS? I add too: WHERE ARE THE MOTHERS?

Paul himself saw in his day that FATHERS in Christ were lacking; those who would serve in the role of a father to sons and daughters in the body of Christ were few and far between. Today is no different. Teachers appear to be nearly a dime a dozen, but true FATHERS in Christ are a rare breed. Fathers beget sons and daughters (see verse 15b), and then they nurture those sons, they pour out their lives into them, they walk alongside them, love them, encourage them, train them, discipline them, and speak life into them so that they grow up and can be FATHERS to those younger than they are.

Being a father is time-consuming, costly, and an utterly self-less role. It's demanding, can be disappointing, and requires thoughtful, other-centered thinking altogether. Fatherhood also entails complete submission to God as Father and Holy Spirit as teacher coupled with a heart that cries out for grace every moment because the role cannot be lived out with physical stamina or intellectual prowess.

And so my cry today is, "Father God, bring forth Your Fathers in the body! We are in need of more Fathers, not more teachers."

Stay tuned for tomorrow's blog entry on another verse from this chapter.