Devotions for God’s Family

1 Corinthians 4:15–21 (ESV): For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 16 I urge you, then, be imitators of me. 17 That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church. 18 Some are arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. 19 But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power. 20 For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power. 21 What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?

What a wonderful thing to live in the flow of God’s blessing. Of, course when we are in heaven, that flow will be completely unadulterated. As for now, it is interrupted by our minds and hearts.

I am very thankful for the Lord’s mercy which points the way right back into blessing. There are aspects of God’s blessing that never stop – constantly flowing, like his grace. Every moment of every day is filled with the grace of God, what a blessing that is continually extended to us.

Did you know that God has a plan for the distribution of blessing on earth? He actually created a program to dispense blessing. It is that important to God that everyone be touched by His blessings, so He created a system whereby that could happen with great ease and efficiency.

Paul refers to that system by using the word “father.” All kinds of thoughts come into our heads when I say that word.

He says that there are certainly a lot of guides, but not very many fathers. I wonder what the difference is?

A guide tells you how to get from point “A” to point “B”. Guides point the way.

Guides are great…if that is what you need.

Paul is speaking mostly about the transactional relationships that exist inside the Corinthian church. To have many guides means there are many who want to say go this way or that, but ultimately it is for their own personal gain that you are told to go this way or that. Whether their gain is to fulfill a personal vision or monetary compensation, usually guides don’t guide for nothing. There is something in return.

The Greek word for “guide” means guardian or a leader. Paul is helping us understand that although we have many who would say they are in charge or know what to do, he is different, and God intends for us to have something different that one who tells us what to do. His disperser of blessing isn’t simply housed in knowledge it is housed in tender relationship.

A father is different than a guardian or leader.

A father sees a child with a different set of eyes.

The father looks at a child with love and the guardian looks through the eyes of compliance.

The motivation of the father is to care for and provide, the leader’s motivation is to get the job done and to use whatever resources are available to that end.

Listen my friend, you are not a resource you are a person. You are not a cog in the gear house, you are a person. Paul does not want his readers to see themselves as being used, he wants them to see themselves as loved. That’s what fathers do best, they love and develop their children.

It is no surprise that this world uses people, most corporations use their employees. It is transactional. You give them hours and they give you pay. Once in a while you find a company that truly cares for their employees.

The church is designed by God so that people are not used. Actually, people should feel cared for like a child feels loved by a father.

This is God’s plan for you to dwell in his blessing, to have spiritual fathers and mothers. People that do not use you, although there is certainly work to be done. There is invitation not command. Appeals for joining are based on relationship, not positions of authority.

Paul does an amazing job throughout the epistles of appealing to his readers first from a relational place and then if that doesn’t work from the position as an Apostle sent by Jesus.

Paul considers himself to be a spiritual father. Who is your spiritual father or mother?

Maybe a better question for you to ponder is what is your relationship to the process by which God wants you to be blessed, are you open to God fathering you through spiritual leadership? He wants to bless you. But sometimes because of the way we have been treated in the past we opt for guides and leaders rather than fathers.

Paul is speaking quite directly here, he is adamant that fathering is essential for the churches direction. Fathering is not a title, it is a way for the distribution of the love of God.

When we cut off being fathered because we have been hurt, we cut off God’s means of distributing blessing to us. Certainly, leaders and guides bless, they get us from point “a” to point “b”. But there is more.

Who is fathering you right now?

1 Thessalonians 2:7-8 But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.               

Lord, I can hear it in this passage. I hear the heart of the Apostle. Paul’s deep love and care for those that You have given to him to lead. He deeply loves them and is trying to pour out more understanding of who you are to them so they can grow up in Christ. Lord, we all need to be fathered by You. please help us see that and acknowledge it. How blessed we will be when we do. Thank You Jesus for giving to us a glimpse of the Father’s heart through Your life.

Blessings

Pastor D