The opportunity of fatherhood

The other day, I came across a picture that was taken about 15 years ago. It's a picture of my grandfather, father, one of my sons, and me. We were dressed in nice clothing so we must have been at some sort of formal event, but I don't remember where that happened to be.

There are a few things that stand out to me about the picture. First, it was taken on purpose. All four of us share the same name, so someone must have suggested that we stand together to capture the moment.

Second, we're all smiling. It's obvious that we were happy to be together.

But the thing that stands out to me most when I look at that picture is my son's face. In fact, the other day I asked him to confirm to me if I was reading his expression correctly. His expression reminds me of the kind of face I used to make when my father and grandfather would include me in what they were doing when I was young. My son looked proud to be welcomed into the group, and he assured me that that's exactly how he felt.

All of us have fathers. Some of us are fathers. Some of us will be fathers one day, and others are currently raising future fathers. Wherever you are on that spectrum, I hope you recognize that fatherhood provides a great opportunity to help others develop a deeper understanding of God. I don't think fatherhood is valued in our culture the way it ought to be, but among believers, it should be held in high esteem.

What kind of opportunities does fatherhood provide?

I. The opportunity to demonstrate the heart of God

“At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”  And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

“Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. ”

— Matthew 18:1-6

It's been widely said, and I believe it to be true, that your relationship with your earthly father will most definitely impact your perception of God. If you had a healthy relationship with your dad, it's likely that you're going to assume the best about your Heavenly Father. If your relationship with your earthly father was deficient in some way, you're going to need your Heavenly Father's help to begin seeing your Him from a perspective that isn't negatively tainted by your earthly father's behaviors.

In John 14:9, Jesus said, "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father." Jesus is one with the Father, and He came to demonstrate His heart to us in very clear and tangible ways. In my opinion, one of the clearest ways Jesus demonstrated the heart of God was through His interaction with children. It's clear that the Lord loves and values the life of every child.

In fact, when the disciples were arguing about what greatness in the kingdom of God looked like, Jesus made it clear that to even be part of the kingdom of God, we need to approach Him with the humble heart of a child. A proud, unbelieving heart will never enjoy a rich welcome into the kingdom of God, but those who are willing to trust Him with childlike faith certainly will receive such a welcome.

While making this clear to the disciples, Jesus also made it clear that the nature of God is to be fiercely protective of His children. In fact, Jesus revealed that it would be better to be drowned in the sea than to cause a child to fall into sin.

Jesus revealed to us that God is loving, God is welcoming, and God is protective. You are a treasure to God, and if He blesses you with the privilege to raise or influence a child in any way, you're being entrusted with an opportunity to demonstrate His heart to them. God treasures the time you spend in fellowship with Him, even if some of the people in our lives may not.

Charles Francis Adams, the 19th century political figure and diplomat, kept a diary. One day he entered: “Went fishing with my son today—a day wasted.”

His son, Brook Adams, also kept a diary, which is still in existence. On that same day, Brook Adams made this entry: “Went fishing with my father—the most wonderful day of my life!”

The father thought he was wasting his time while fishing with his son, but his son saw it as an investment of time. Isn't it nice to know that God never considers time spent with you wasted? -Silas Shotwell, in September, 1987, Homemade

II. The opportunity to shape the culture

““Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.  And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.””

— 1 John 2:15-17

As a father, I have tried as best as I know how to communicate truth to my children. I have told them about Jesus. I have explained the Scriptures to them. I have attempted to pass along the wisdom the Lord has shared with me. I also spend a considerable amount of time in prayer for them, more than they probably realize.

But I don't think the words I share with them or the wisdom I try to convey to them will matter much to them if I don't demonstrate that those words actually matter to me as well. They will be able to see what matters most to me by how I live my life. If I tell them to value Jesus and to avoid becoming wrapped up in the desires of this world while I'm still chained to worldly desires, they could rightly assume that what I'm telling them isn't something I really believe.

Thankfully, I'm confident that my children know exactly what I believe, and I'm grateful to see the impact it has on them. And as I observe that in my own household, and in the households of others, it has become clear to me that the more fathers embrace the opportunity to teach and model the gospel to their children, the more the entire culture is going to be impacted by that example.

III. The opportunity to lead like Jesus

““If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.””

— John 13:14-15

The other day, Andrea and I took a drive to have dinner with one of the pastors from her childhood and his wife. They were a great example of leadership to her, and many of the things they modeled have had an impact on how we try to steward our roles in ministry.

As we were driving there, we saw a family taking a walk together. They crossed the street in front of us while we were waiting at a light, with the father leading the group. He was holding a baby, and the mother was holding the hands of two young children. They all had shirts on that referenced their role in the family. The father's shirt unapologetically said, "Dad." The mother's shirt said, "Mom." And the children had shirts that either said "Son" or "Daughter." As I watched their family, I said to Andrea, "I love that so much. What a beautiful thing to see."

Fatherhood provides a wonderful opportunity to lead, and the wisest fathers learn to demonstrate the heart of Jesus in their leadership. There's a big difference between leading people and bossing people around. Many people make the mistake of believing that they're the same thing, but they aren't. A boss barks out orders and tells you to do things he's not willing to do. A leader invites you to join him in doing the hard things that he's also willing to do. That's the kind of leadership Jesus showed us.

Jesus wasn't afraid to get His hands dirty when serving others. He wasn't hesitant to display a servant's heart and biblical humility toward other people. Just imagine the impact it would have on marriages, parental relationships, and families in general if we took Jesus' example to heart. Fatherhood is a golden opportunity to lead like Jesus, and I'm grateful for the men who can look at the example Jesus gave us by washing the disciples feet and demonstrate their willingness to do the same exact thing in the service and sacrifices they make for their wives and children.

IV. The opportunity to lay down your life

“ “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.””

— 1 John 3:16

Chris Schultz's family is sharing his story of heroism, after the 31-year-old gave his life to save his son on Father's Day weekend.

"He loved his kids more than life itself," said Chris' brother, Ryan Olson. "Everyone says it, but he proved it."

Schultz leapt into action after his three year old son, Ashton, fell off Long Bridge in Detroit Lakes on Saturday.

"Ashton, being a curious, adventurous, 3-year-old, crawled through the rail and fell," Olson said. "Someone saw it and Chris went over instantly."

Olson says his brother managed to get Ashton to the surface, but he struggled to keep his own head above water as he handed his son off to a woman near the shore.

"(Chris) was holding on to her as well," Olson said. "He just couldn't hang on and he let go." -ValleyNewsLive.com, 6/18/19

Why would a loving father do this? I believe this is something instinctive that the Lord puts in a man that demonstrates the fact that we were created in His image. And there's no greater example of this kind of sacrificial love than what we see demonstrated in Jesus Christ.

The Apostle John made a point to remind the church over and over again that God is loving by nature. That love was on full display in the life, ministry, and eventual death of Jesus Christ. When someone wants to know what real love looks like, all they need to do is look to the example of Jesus who willingly laid down His life for us. The righteous for the unrighteous. The Savior for the sinner.

We don't deserve the love of Jesus. The only thing we ever did to deserve what He chose to do for us was rebel against Him and goof everything up. We had nothing to offer Him other than our long list of mistakes. But He showed us what love is by laying down His life for us, and if our faith in Him is genuine, we should be willing to do the same for those we love too.

Fatherhood provides a great opportunity to demonstrate the heart of God, to shape the culture, to lead like Jesus, and to lay down your life.

According to something recently shared anonymously on Bible.org, here's what a father teaches...

• He teaches kindness by being thoughtful and gracious even at home.

• He teaches patience by being gentle and understanding over and over.

• He teaches honesty by keeping his promises to his family even when it costs.

• He teaches courage by living unafraid with faith, in all circumstances.

• He teaches justice by being fair and dealing equally with everyone.

• He teaches obedience to God’s Word by precept and example as he reads and prays daily with his family.

• He teaches love for God and His Church as he takes his family regularly to all the services.

• His steps are important because others follow. -Bible.org

© John Stange, 2021

Five goals I'm aiming for in the coming year

Most families have traditions that coincide with special times of the year. One of our traditions is to take a multi-state tour to visit family during the week between Christmas and New Year's Day. We begin the week by visiting my father and my sisters, then we travel further north to visit Andrea's parents. After a few days with them, we drive south to spend time with Andrea's sister and some of our friends in the Pittsburgh area. The week always culminates with a New Year's Eve party hosted by some of our good friends who live a few minutes from my sister-in-law. I hope this is a tradition we can keep going for a while.

The dawning of a new year is also a great time to take stock of what you're presently doing, and what you need to change. In the final weeks of the past year, I gave a lot of thought to this coming year and wrestled through some changes and improvements that I believe the Lord would like me to make. I think I have my list boiled down to five critical areas, and in just a few moments I'm going to share them with you.

As I share my list, and my rationale for making it, I would encourage you to be thinking about what the Lord would also like you to be focusing on. Maybe something from my list should also be on your list. If so, please adopt it as your own and let's give Jesus glory together this year.

I. Aim for what matters most

"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." (Matthew 6:33)

The kingdom of God is a concept that is spoken of multiple times in Scripture. His kingdom is quite different from the kingdoms of man. The kingdoms of man are typically built on the shaky foundations of selfish ambition, unhealthy accumulation, and the attempt to obtain power over others. But the kingdom of God is much healthier than that, and the goals of His kingdom are further reaching that the goals of mere earthly kingdoms.

The kingdom of God can be experienced wherever He rules and reigns. The Bible teaches that there is going to come a day when Jesus Christ will physically and personally reign over this earth with complete benevolence and justice. That's certainly an important aspect of the kingdom of God that we ought to look forward to. As we await that day, we're also invited to welcome Christ to reign with His benevolence and justice in our hearts and lives.

So if I'm going to truly aim for what matters most in this coming year, I'm going to need to stay focused on the kingdom of God, not the kingdoms of man or my own personal kingdom. Christ has invited me to seek His kingdom and receive the gift of His righteousness. Therefore, whatever I do in this coming year needs to be very intentionally dedicated to honoring Him and elevating His name in praise.

II. Remove unhealthy clutter

"God is not a God of disorder but of peace." (1 Corinthians 14:33, CSB)

At a young age, probably around 8-years-old, I started to realize that I didn't like clutter. Believe it or not, my parents didn't have to ask me to clean my room. It was usually the cleanest and most organized room in our home. My teachers didn't need to ask me to clean my desk or my locker. It was usually very organized. I work better, think better, and get more accomplished when I'm not surrounded by clutter.

It probably wouldn't surprise you to learn that one of the aspects of God's character that I appreciate most is the fact that His is orderly. Scripture tells us that He is not a God of disorder but of peace. There is order to His creation. He operates according to His perfect plan, and He is making sense out of the disorder we brought into this world when we rebelled against Him. The Father is taking the chaos and conflict we stirred up and He's steering things in the direction of order and peace that He's facilitating through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Our lives can become easily cluttered, and that clutter can often be more consequential than a room that needs a good purging. Sometimes our lives become cluttered with obligations that it's time to hand off to someone else, affiliations that it's time to end, and relationships that it's time to alter, amend, or terminate.

Can you identify anything or anyone you've invited into your life that doesn't belong there any longer? What's preventing you from removing what you need to remove or changing what you need to change? I suspect it's the opinions of someone else who may want you to hold on to that clutter forever.

Some years ago, several larger items were left to me from the personal belongings of a family member that passed away. Truthfully, I didn't want or have need for them so I gave them to family members who did need them. I didn't feel bad about giving these items away because to me they would have become clutter. My love for that relative has no correlation or connection whatsoever to the possessions they left behind. As you can imagine, my decision to give those items away was not looked upon favorably by some members of my family, but I can live with that. I made the right decision for myself and my household. It's wise to resist receiving the clutter others may try to force upon you.

III. Filter my influences

"Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;" (Psalm 1:1)

"Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned?" (Proverbs 6:27)

I love how the book of Psalms begins. In the opening verse of the book, David speaks of a blessed man. He tells us that a blessed man doesn't walk in the counsel of the wicked, stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of scoffers. There's a progression that takes place in these verses. When we get involved in unhealthy things, we tend to first walk toward them, then stand near them, then sit among them. But blessed is the man who doesn't treat sin casually or welcome its influence into his life.

I also greatly appreciate the counsel David's son, Solomon gave us in Proverbs 6. He used the analogy of attempting to carry fire next to your chest. Doing so is most certainly going to result in burning your clothing. It's not possible to carry fire close to your body without getting singed or burned by it.

The influences we welcome into our lives operate in the same fashion. We will be directly impacted by what we allow to get close to us. We will be changed by what we permit to influence us. I have seen that in my life many times. I have also seen that happen to those I care about.

For that reason, I have decided to become much more intentional about what I allow to influence me. In recent months, I have become more active in filtering my news sources, my entertainment sources, and my usage of social media. I want my mind to remain focused on Christ and the wisdom for living He supplies through His Spirit. I don't want to be dragged down or led astray (like I perceive much of humanity is currently being led astray) by unhealthy worldly influences.

IV. Invest in relationships

"With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." (Ephesians 4:2-3)

"This is how we have come to know love: He laid down his life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters." (1 John 3:16, CSB)

Scripture teaches us to reflect the heart of Christ in how we interact with one another. In Ephesians 4, Paul explained that believers are called to display humility, gentleness, and patience toward each another. We're also called to bear with one another in a loving way while maintaining unity and peace through the power of the Holy Spirit.

In the first letter the Apostle John wrote to the church, He also called us to display love to one another in a very specific way. We're called to lay down our lives for one another with the same heart motivation Jesus demonstrated when He laid down His life for us.

In recent years, the Lord has been helping me to place a greater value on the relationships He has allowed me to have with the people He has placed in my life. For that reason, I'm trying to tangibly show others just how much I value them. I'm trying to be very intentional to invest in my relationships with with my wife and my children. I'm trying to carve out more time for extended family and friends. I'm also working hard to establish relationships with new people. In fact, during the past twelve months, even in the midst of all that's been taking place in the world, I have become friends with more new people than at any other time other than my freshman year of college. I want this pattern to continue in the coming year.

And as these relationships grow, I'm praying that the Lord will help me to represent Him well. I receive so much joy from my relationship with Jesus and I want others to experience the joy they can have through Him as well. Many of the people in this world that I love deeply haven't yet grasped the joy and peace Christ is offering them. I'm hopeful that if they can in a small way see what He's doing in my heart, maybe they will also invite Him into their life as well and experience what a healthy relationship with their Creator feels like.

V. Be intentional about showing appreciation

"Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

Several months ago, I interviewed an author for my podcast. His name is John Ruhlin and he wrote the best-selling book, "Giftology." It's a book that would probably be good for all leaders to read because in that book he outlines practical ways to show appreciation to those you live with, work with, and serve with.

In speaking with him, I became convinced that I need to improve in showing appreciation toward others. Making sure others know they are loved and appreciated is a biblical concept that all believers should adopt as a practice. In 1 Thessalonians 5, Paul challenged the church to encourage one another and build one another up. It sounds like Paul wanted the believers of the early church to be intentional about showing appreciation to one another.

Of my personal aims for this coming year, I suspect this might be the area that I struggle with most. I think the reason I struggle with it might be because I have allowed my life and my time to become too cluttered in other areas, and as a result, the time I would have been able to allot for showing creative appreciation is being consumed by obligations that I should gradually and gracefully take a break from.

If you're familiar with the book, "The Five Love Languages" by Gary Chapman, you probably already know his theory that people tend to give and receive love in five different ways; words of affirmation, acts of service, quality time, physical touch, and gifts. As I attempt to devote myself to getting better at showing appreciation, I am going to try to use Chapman's suggestions to show love and appreciation toward those the Lord has placed in my life.

So what are you aiming for this coming year? Is there anything on my list that might be practical for you to add to your list as well? What has Christ been impressing upon your heart? How can you give others a greater glimpse of the joy you have in Him during this coming year?

I truly hope this coming year will be a year of great progress in your relationship with Jesus, and the love, joy, and peace that He has placed in your life will genuinely overflow into the lives of others as He does His miraculous work through you.

© John Stange, 2021

Do you understand God's calling on your life?

The term "disciple" is an important biblical term that often gets overlooked. It comes from the Greek word "mathétés" which means to be a learner or a pupil. In the context of our faith, a disciple would be one who eagerly learns from Jesus.

What then would a disciple of Christ be learning? If we are His disciples, we would be learning to follow Jesus, imitate His life and pass on His teachings to others. This is because Christ's calling on His disciples is not only that we would become disciples, but that we would mentor and teach others so that they too would become His disciples.

Just prior to His ascension to Heaven, Jesus spoke to His disciples, and the Scriptures record the conversation like this; "And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

Jesus desires more than just people who are converted to faith in Him. He's seeking to build a family of fully devoted followers. Men and women who delight in their relationship with Him. People who love to learn and implement His teaching. A group of people who love and are loved by Jesus and their lives make that abundantly clear.

The other day I received a call from a friend. On the call, he asked me to remember him in prayer. In particular, he wanted clarity on what God wanted for him. He was seeking the Lord's guidance on what his next step in life should be. Have you ever wrestled with that same question?

What is God's calling on your life? I would contend that He desires you to become a disciple of Christ in the truest sense of the word. In the simplest terms, that's your calling. So how can we become disciples who are fully devoted followers of Christ?

I. Follow me

“While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.  And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”  Immediately they left their nets and followed him. ”

— Matthew 4:18-20, ESV

Growing up, I went fishing from time to time, but not very much. I don't enjoy eating fish so the idea of catching them never stuck with me. My son Daniel, however, goes fishing whenever he has a free moment. Several years ago he discovered how much he loves it, and I'm pretty sure just about all of his disposable income has gone to fishing gear in recent years.

This Scripture tells us that Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee. The Sea of Galilee is a rather large lake and it's plenty deep. The people who lived in the region around the lake tended to be adept at fishing. My understanding is that fishing was the main trade and source of income for the communities that surrounded the Sea of Galilee at the time.

As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers who were fishermen. They were casting their nets into the water and doing their best to bring in as many fish as they could catch. This was their trade. This was their livelihood. It would be safe to assume that this is precisely what they expected to be doing most days for the rest of their lives. But Jesus called them that day, and they said "yes" to following Him.

When we read John 1:35-42, we learn that this wasn't the first time Jesus spoke to these men. But this was the moment when Jesus called them to follow Him. We're told here that they listened to His voice, left their nets and followed Him, becoming His disciples and then later being granted the office of apostle.

The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples,36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them,“Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said,“You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter). (John 1:35-42, ESV)

Jesus wants us to be His disciples as well and part of what that entails is our willingness to follow Him. Jesus is God in the flesh. He is the epitome of leadership, and a good leader incorporates multiple disciplines in his style of leadership. One of the things you'll notice about a good leader is that he doesn't send you off in a direction by yourself. Rather, he invites you to follow him. He doesn't push you away, he welcomes you to get closer to him and then move in the same direction he's moving.

That's the kind of leadership we see in Christ. We're invited to follow Him. We're invited to head in the same direction He's heading in. We're reminded that He will be with us always and won't abandon us. But if we're going to follow Him, it needs to be on His terms, not our own. It needs to be His voice we're heeding, not our own voice.

I don't know if you've ever heard the Dave Ramsey show via podcast or on the radio. He gives financial advice from a Christian perspective and he has outlined a simple plan for eliminating debt, investing for retirement, and giving generously that he encourages his listeners to follow. From time to time, people will call in, say they have been following his plan, then mention how they are "mostly" following his plan, just not in certain areas like credit card usage or car loans. Then Dave will inevitably say, "It sounds like you're following your plan, not mine, because my plan encourages you never to do that."

In a similar way, Christ has invited us to follow Him. That doesn't mean we make changes to what He says or only follow Him on days when we don't feel like fishing. It means we leave our nets (whatever has the propensity to trap or entangle us), listen to His voice, and move in the direction He's moving (which we can be certain will be in a direction that's different from where our boats were already drifting).

II. I will make you something new

“And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” ”

— Matthew 4:19, ESV

Please notice a few things about Christ's call on the disciples. He told them to, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." What was Jesus getting at when He said this? Jesus was telling them that their lives were going to be quite different from how they were before they followed Him. He was about to give them a new mission, and He was going to make them into new people.

He invited them to follow Him, not as spectators, but as His disciples. He would be their master, teacher, leader and Lord, and they would experience a transformation of life as they grew in their relationship with Him.

He also said, "I will make you fishers of men." This is an interesting statement that shows that Jesus was using a concept that would have been familiar to this group of fishermen. They were used to understanding the activity and patterns of fish. They knew the best time of day to look for them. They utilized the best tools they could use to catch them. Now their mission was going to change. They would be made into new people with new eyes and new priorities, and their mission on this earth was going to change accordingly.

Two months ago, I decided that I needed to make some changes to what I was eating. I try to do this from time-to-time. I typically only post pictures of the bad things I have eaten online, but my normal meals have been following a pretty strict regimen. It makes me feel better. It's helping me to lose some of the weight I gained during the months of quarantine. And if I stick with it, I'm confident I'll be pleased with the results.

Eating the right foods can certainly improve my health. A healthy life includes improvement, but when we dig a little into what Jesus was saying here, He revealed that our deepest health isn't dependent on "self-improvement". Rather, it's dependent on transformation that He accomplishes through faith in Him, by the Holy Spirit who indwells all believers. Jesus transforms the way we think, see and live (Eph. 2:10). He isn't calling us to become an improved version of our old self. He's calling us to be and do something new.

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10, ESV)

III. Your life will change

“And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them.  Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.”

— Matthew 4:21-22, ESV

Growing up, there were certain things that were expected of me and certain things I expected of myself. My full name is John N. Stange IV. Senior started a grocery business, Jr. continued it, III expanded it, and from birth, I was raised in it. I wanted to be just like my Dad and just like my Grandfather. I walked around in that store with a meat apron on, sliced meat when I was still in elementary school, stocked the shelves, ran the register, cleaned the meat department and delivered groceries when I was old enough to drive. Then I broke my Dad's heart and told him that I thought God wanted me to do something different and be a pastor. I was raised to run a family business, but God called me away from it.

Zebedee was a prominent fisherman. He had a well established business with some high profile customers. We're told that his business was doing well enough that he had hired servants to help with the business, in addition to his sons (Mark 1:20). Some theologians believe that Zebedee had the contract to supply the high priest with fish, and we can see from John 18:15 that Zebedee's son, John, was certainly known to the high priest.

“And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.” (Mark 1:20, ESV)

“Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest,” (John 18:15, ESV)

As Jesus continued to call disciples, I'm sure there were temptations for those disciples to remain right where they were, particularly people like James and John who could have continued to lead and inherit their father's prosperous business. And that would have been fine if that's what Christ called them to do. But Jesus called them to leave the comfort, familiarity and prosperity of their father's boat and follow Him instead. From that point on, their lives were never the same.

One of the basic marks of a disciple of Christ is the fact that their life has changed. We all have stories of what our lives were like before we met Christ, and it's fascinating to see the long tail of what Christ has been doing in us, and changing about us, over the course of decades. But it's also edifying to hear stories and testimonies of what Christ has been doing in our lives, or teaching us, over shorter spans of time like the past few months.

Has your life been changed? If you are truly Christ's disciple, the answer is absolutely yes. Or, do you feel like you're still living like you're spiritually dead? When you're battling between the desires of the flesh and the desires of the Spirit, who do you submit your will to? Christ who transforms you or this world that deforms you?

Christ's calling on your life and my life is so much higher than the standards this world drives into our minds. He calls us to follow Him, be made new by Him, and experience a life that is change by Him for good.

© John Stange, 2020