Father Figures - December 15

Read 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12

For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

Reflect

Do you have a father figure (maybe your own father or another older gentleman) who urged you to grow in the Christian faith and live a godly life? Who is that person and how did he encourage and challenge you?

In previous messages, we’ve already talked about the value of mothers but we’d be remiss if we didn’t also discuss how crucial fathers are in raising children. As a society, we have statistical evidence from multiple sources telling us that kids who grow up without their fathers are more likely to do drugs, drop out of school, have a baby before they’re married, get divorced, live in poverty, or wind up in prison. Secular society understands the consequences of absent fathers, even if they don’t want to say so out loud. But Christians understand the importance of fathers at an even deeper level—spiritual leadership.

In today’s verses, Paul compared their ministry in Thessalonica to fathers exhorting, encouraging, and charging their children to live godly lives for the glory of God. Previously, he talked about how they were like nursing mothers, nurturing and loving them (1 Thessalonians 2:7). He also spoke of fulfilling the parental role of providing for them out of love without expecting compensation (1 Thessalonians 2:9). Now, we read that Paul, Silas, and Timothy also took on the fatherly role of pushing their spiritual children to step up in godliness and maturity.

When we look back at 1 Thessalonians 2:10, we see that Paul and company did what all good fathers do—lead by example. “You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers.” They didn’t just preach, they practiced what they preached. Paul also said they “exhorted each one of you” which means they came alongside them and instructed them. They told them and they showed them how to live wisely with godly character. Just as a father comes alongside his child to demonstrate and instruct, so Paul, Silas, and Timothy came alongside the believers in Thessalonica.

Today, Paul also said that they were like fathers when they encouraged them. They had a sincere need for encouragement. Many of them lived in poverty and left their old religions behind to become Christians. Many of them faced opposition and persecution, maybe even alienation from family and friends who didn’t understand. Life is hard enough and being a Christian in an unbelieving culture is even harder. Paul knew that good spiritual fathers comfort and console their children and encourage them to keep going because hardship is a reality.

But even as father figures encourage and comfort, they don’t baby their children, either. Good fathers want to prepare their children for life in the real world and raise capable, responsible adults. They know their kids have to learn to be strong so they urge them to reach higher. That is why Paul wrote that they “charged them to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.” They challenged the Thessalonians to step up to live obedient, godly lives. They challenged them to grow and spiritually mature rather than remain stuck in perpetual spiritual infancy. Good fathers urge their kids to grow up. Not in a harsh way, of course. But they challenge their children to rise to occasion.

Paul said that God had called them into His kingdom and His glory. The believers in Thessalonica were already citizens of heaven and children of God. But they still needed father figures and fatherly advice to spiritually grow and mature. I have gone to seminary and I still need spiritual father figures exhorting, encouraging, and charging me. If you don’t have a spiritual leader like that in your life, ask God to provide one for you and seek one out at your local church. If you are an older man, ask God to show you someone to mentor. Because we all need father figures!

Respond

Lord, thank You for sending spiritual father figures to lead us, guide us, instruct us, comfort us, and challenge us. We need them! Show me how I can also exhort, encourage, and charge those you have placed in my sphere of influence. Help me to be a role model with both my words and my lifestyle. Amen.

Reveal

I urge you to come alongside a younger or less mature believer. Encourage and challenge them. Reveal God’s father’s heart to them.