Spiritual Fathers | Ponderings of a Pastor
Key Thought | Spiritual growth isn’t built on consuming more voices, but on cultivating deep relationship—with God and with the spiritual fathers He places in our lives.
Key Scripture | “I am not writing these things to shame you, but to warn you as my beloved children. For even if you had ten thousand others to teach you about Christ, you have only one spiritual father. For I became your father in Christ Jesus when I preached the Good News to you. So I urge you to imitate me.” – 1 Corinthians 4:14-16 NLT
These days, I ask myself, “Where have the spiritual fathers gone?”
Don’t get me wrong. I am deeply grateful for the men God has placed in my life who speak truth and wisdom into me. But on a broader scale in the body of Christ, it has felt like a difficult season. Many of the voices we once looked to as “fathers” are no longer present in the same way. I’m not trying to diagnose all the reasons behind that. I simply believe Paul points to a tension that existed in his day, and one that may be even more pronounced in ours.
“For even if you had ten thousand others to teach you about Christ, you have only one spiritual father.” - Paul
If even in Paul’s day—without the internet, podcasts, or endless video content—there was a problem with multiple teachers, how much greater is that tension now?
I’m still working through in my own heart and spirit how much our congregation truly needs my voice versus simply wants it. At what point does the answer shift from needing another person to needing more of God’s presence and His Word?
Recently, I was reading Genesis for my upcoming message and was struck by the truth that there were two trees highlighted in the garden. The tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
In the simplest of ways, Adam and Eve were not content with life; they wanted knowledge instead. Please hear me: I’m not against learning. But with all of our learning, are we actually better off?
I think that's what many do. They choose the tree of podcast, messages, devotionals and such instead choosing relationship with Him, their Bible, prayer, and quiet.
Knowledge doesn’t equal relationship. It often equates to judgment and skepticism.
For well over 30 years of my spiritual life, I’ve really only listened to three people in my life. I’ve only had 2 pastors. One of them was my father. I’ve had many voices that tried to teach me; but the minute they sounded contrary to those I knew were meant to guide me, I tuned them out.
Some may say that’s a small way to live. I get that, but I would say in response that it’s a successful way to live.
Paul said it best. “Follow me, as I follow Christ.”
Many people want to be leaders, but few are really good followers.
Maybe the question isn’t, “Who else should I be listening to?”
Maybe the better question is, “Who am I truly following?”
In a world full of teachers, ask God to anchor you to the spiritual fathers He has given you — and more importantly, to Himself. Choose depth over volume. Choose life over endless knowledge.
And if God has called you to lead, remember this: before we can be trusted as fathers, we must first remain faithful sons and daughters.
Prayer | Father, Thank You for the voices You have placed in my life that have pointed me toward You. Forgive me for the times I have chased knowledge more than intimacy, information more than presence. Quiet the noise around me and the striving within me. Teach me to value depth over volume and relationship over recognition. Anchor my heart to Your Word and to the spiritual leaders You have appointed in my life. And help me to be a faithful follower of Christ before I ever desire to lead. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Reflections
Key Scripture | “I am not writing these things to shame you, but to warn you as my beloved children. For even if you had ten thousand others to teach you about Christ, you have only one spiritual father. For I became your father in Christ Jesus when I preached the Good News to you. So I urge you to imitate me.” – 1 Corinthians 4:14-16 NLT
These days, I ask myself, “Where have the spiritual fathers gone?”
Don’t get me wrong. I am deeply grateful for the men God has placed in my life who speak truth and wisdom into me. But on a broader scale in the body of Christ, it has felt like a difficult season. Many of the voices we once looked to as “fathers” are no longer present in the same way. I’m not trying to diagnose all the reasons behind that. I simply believe Paul points to a tension that existed in his day, and one that may be even more pronounced in ours.
“For even if you had ten thousand others to teach you about Christ, you have only one spiritual father.” - Paul
If even in Paul’s day—without the internet, podcasts, or endless video content—there was a problem with multiple teachers, how much greater is that tension now?
I’m still working through in my own heart and spirit how much our congregation truly needs my voice versus simply wants it. At what point does the answer shift from needing another person to needing more of God’s presence and His Word?
Recently, I was reading Genesis for my upcoming message and was struck by the truth that there were two trees highlighted in the garden. The tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
In the simplest of ways, Adam and Eve were not content with life; they wanted knowledge instead. Please hear me: I’m not against learning. But with all of our learning, are we actually better off?
I think that's what many do. They choose the tree of podcast, messages, devotionals and such instead choosing relationship with Him, their Bible, prayer, and quiet.
Knowledge doesn’t equal relationship. It often equates to judgment and skepticism.
For well over 30 years of my spiritual life, I’ve really only listened to three people in my life. I’ve only had 2 pastors. One of them was my father. I’ve had many voices that tried to teach me; but the minute they sounded contrary to those I knew were meant to guide me, I tuned them out.
Some may say that’s a small way to live. I get that, but I would say in response that it’s a successful way to live.
Paul said it best. “Follow me, as I follow Christ.”
Many people want to be leaders, but few are really good followers.
Maybe the question isn’t, “Who else should I be listening to?”
Maybe the better question is, “Who am I truly following?”
In a world full of teachers, ask God to anchor you to the spiritual fathers He has given you — and more importantly, to Himself. Choose depth over volume. Choose life over endless knowledge.
And if God has called you to lead, remember this: before we can be trusted as fathers, we must first remain faithful sons and daughters.
Prayer | Father, Thank You for the voices You have placed in my life that have pointed me toward You. Forgive me for the times I have chased knowledge more than intimacy, information more than presence. Quiet the noise around me and the striving within me. Teach me to value depth over volume and relationship over recognition. Anchor my heart to Your Word and to the spiritual leaders You have appointed in my life. And help me to be a faithful follower of Christ before I ever desire to lead. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Reflections
- Have I been consuming more spiritual content than I am cultivating personal time with God? What might it look like to rebalance that?
- Who are the spiritual voices God has genuinely assigned to guide me, and am I truly following them as they follow Christ?
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