life lessons

Called to ministry?

/ Will N. / Leave a comment

Are you called to ministry?

While not every believer is gifted for missionary service or for a vocational livelihood within the church, all those who follow the path of Christ are called to ministry in its most fundamental sense- sacrificial service offered to God through service to others.

Perhaps a limited definition of ministry and an often hyper-specific concept of calling have contributed to the framing that unintentionally creates two classes of disciples- some as “professionals” and others as “just everyday Christians.”

Many of us may have been raised as believers by believers, and our personal narratives may lack the moments of coming to ourselves in the gutter or having a specific Damascus Road-style encounter. We don’t need a dramatic testimony of our personal brokenness to equip to minister to others- we simply need the realization that the best moralist and the most public sinner are both in desperate need of salvation in Christ.

In 1 Peter 2, Scripture reminds us that all believers are given roles and functions in building up the spiritual house of God. Paul notes in Romans 12, as well as in 1 Cor 12, that believers are to give their lives as living sacrifices through diverse ministries including preaching, giving, encouraging, leading, and showing mercy.

Whether we come to Christ through a dramatic turnaround or a more slowly developing movement toward embracing Christ’s will, all who come to share in Christ’s family are likewise called to use our lives in service to build and extend His kingdom.

We are told to use whatever we have for the building up of the body of Christ (Eph 4:12). For some, it may be advanced academic training in theology- after all, we need Bible translators, apologetics experts, and Christian professors. For others, the lessons of Christianity will be experienced less in a classroom and more in the streets- whether as people in recovery, people in the helping professions, or both.

We need believers who possess a deeper knowledge of God’s Word, and we need believers who have experienced those timeless truths directly in their own lives. No single disciple and no single body of believers will be a perfect blend of every attribute, but together we unite to form a worshipping community that can better display the fullness of Christ to the watching world.

 We need believing farmers, school teachers, factory workers, salesmen, bankers, law enforcement officers, medical professionals, and stay-at-home parents. We need wealthy believers who use their financial blessings for good, and we need to recognize our brothers and sisters among the most poor and marginalized folks in our communities. We need believers who focus on offering more Christ-centered teaching, and we need believers who share in serving and seeking justice for the most vulnerable people who stand in need of the hope of Jesus and the healing relationships found most fully in Christ’s church.

As we read about earliest Christians, we can appreciate that Paul and Peter, Mary and Martha, Barnabas and Stephen, Lydia and Timothy were all faithful to the Lord, but each one was faithful using his/her own particular gifts and talents. Like them, our own stories are not identical as we work out the ministries God has placed before us.

No two people have the same exact skills and gifts, but we must come to see that the gospel’s call to salvation in Christ is always accompanied by the call to serve in Christ’s kingdom.

It’s not just a list

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Several years ago, well-known preacher Fred Craddock presented a memorable sermon based on Romans 16. Like many of the closing chapters of the New Testament letters, this chapter is often neglected because it contains a long list of names- individuals that the apostle Paul wanted to recognize and inquire about within the church in Rome.

Paul’s comments found here are markedly different from the deep, theological content of the early letter- almost as if Paul has offered his letter as a sermon and then added these thoughts like we might offer congregational announcements or a prayer list. Craddock wisely notes that we often miss out in failing to pay closer attention to these names- these are the very men and women that Paul, and the Holy Spirit through his words, wanted to acknowledge and bring to the reader’s attention. It’s not just a list to be skimmed over- it is the recognition of otherwise unknown Christians who are our spiritual ancestors in the faith.

If asked to name individuals who influenced your faith, who would be on your list?

For most of us, it would not be primarily well-known evangelists, successful celebrity pastors, or famous missionaries. Instead, our mind’s eye would turn back to the people that first taught us the good news about Jesus and the individuals who have demonstrated faithfulness through the tough times and trials of life. On my list, I would place my parents and grandparents who provided living examples and sources of constant encouragement to me.

Beyond my family, I would think about Larry, an elder in the congregation where I grew up. Larry ran an auto parts store during the week and served as an active Sunday School teacher in our local church. Larry later began preaching full-time for a smaller church in our community and continues to give his retirement years to volunteer work and raising funds for Christian summer camps.

A little later in my youth, a new school teacher who had moved to our community began to serve as a part-time youth minister in our church. Bobby became a life-long friend first by taking me to youth events and then encouraging me to use my gifts in church settings. Two decades after those days in the youth group, Bobby officiated our wedding ceremony- a youth minister who became a fellow preacher, peer, and dear friend.

I think about the women of our community who shaped by life through their faithful servant hearts and godly examples. Women like Johnnie Bell, Jermie, Peggy, Annette, Loretta, Nancy, Gwen, Betty, the three Louise(s), and others who through my childhood and early ministry encouraged and prayed for me. My list includes my college roommate Brandon who died young, but left a lasting influence of faith on each life he touched.

None of these people will be remembered for founding a Christian college, taking the gospel into dangerous foreign fields, or leading revivals that saw thousands come to Christ, but each one made a lasting difference in my walk with Christ. Whatever difference I make in ministry stands upon the support and encouragement of such people. Anyone I might influence who then in turn will influence others can know that the  stream of service we stand in spans back through generations to the earliest disciples.

I hope the next time we are reading Scripture and run across names like Amplias, Epaenetus, or Urbanus, we will not skip over them as just unpronounceable names, but instead will remember that God’s Word and God’s story is full of people we will never meet who changed the world by being faithful to Christ right where they were.

Love lightens the burden

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Photo by Timur Kozmenko – Pexels

At some point in life, we each experience a shift in perspective that changes our minds.

Perhaps we thought big vacations were overhyped until we saw the expression on our granddaughter’s face as she saw Cinderella’s castle for the first time. Perhaps we never liked a particular band until hearing a certain song that reminded us of a specific moment our childhood. Perhaps we could only see another school in a harsh spirit of rivalry until the students held a fundraiser for a personal friend who had been suddenly stricken with cancer.

There is a common thread tying together such changes of mind: when we are personally connected to a place, person, or community, we come away with a different perspective than we could ever experience only as unattached onlookers or observers. When our affections are impacted, our thoughts are reshaped as well.

Jesus spoke of His yoke being easy and His burden being light (Mt 11:28-30). When we think about the commands of Jesus- to love enemies, to forgive repeat offenders, to serve the poor and suffering, and so forth- it is easy to believe Jesus is sharing an ideal of discipleship rather than the reality most of us actually experience. How can doing the “impossible” tasks Jesus commands be in any way easy or light?

When loving relationships are placed at the center of our lives, this focus dramatically alters our response to the will of God.

As long as we see God’s will as a tax and weight upon our own desires and dreams for our lives, we will struggle to live by faith. If our obedience to God is motivated only by fear or the hope of earning greater blessing, we will not be able to sustain conformity to God’s will over time.

If, however, we accept the grace-filled gift of God’s love and seek to live in faithful response to that love, the overflow of our love serves to open our lives more and more to His will. If I am guided by obligation or fear, my actions will betray my lack of deep commitment or affection for whatever work I am involved in. No matter how faithful my actions are outwardly, the inner war of forcing myself to obey will reveal itself in my attitude, my tone, my words, and eventually my actions.

Compulsion and duty may push me to serve for a time, but my heart will not be truly invested in my discipleship. Frustration, anger, and burnout are the overflow of a heart that day by day must force itself to do what is right without the underlying motivation of genuine love and compassion. While going through the motions may keep us outwardly faithful for a season, without love for God and love for others our actions are just so much activity and noise that can never satisfy us nor please God (1 Cor 13:1-3).

When we love a job, even the hardest work seems less burdensome. When we love a person, no sacrifice seems too great to bring about their happiness. If we love our country or a cause deeply, no call of duty can come that we would not accept. In an even greater way when we come to love God, His commands become more and more a source of delight rather than dread.

When love is present, His call to serve becomes an added source of blessing rather than another burden. Such unburdened rest is found not in the absence of activity but in our daily submission as we offer Christ our brokenness and open our hearts to His blessing.

Kindness is always a good fit

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Several years ago following the closing of my local men’s shop, I found myself needing a new suit.

While in Nashville for doctor’s appointment, I noticed a national menswear location having a sale nearby.

I was in my mid-20s, several friends were marrying in the coming months, and I needed to make my purchase soon.

Upon entering, I spotted an older man who appeared the stereotype of a tailor- tape measure around his neck, reading glasses perched on his nose, and a determined look on his face.

The store was empty of other customers, so I walked up, and briefly explained I didn’t wear a suit often, but I was looking for something simple for funerals, weddings, and special occasions.

Looking me up and down, he responded, “Well, do you prefer the Asian style cut or more of a European fit?”

He could tell I did not know the difference, and it seemed to give him joy to watch me look unsure.

“I am not sure. Just simple and black and that fits well I think,” I finally answered.

“Unless you know what you want, I can’t help you. Look around if you want,” he said and went back to folding shirts.

While this was a relatively minor incident, it made me feel small, unwelcome, and foolish. I was a most willing customer, but for whatever reason, he did not see me, listen to me, or do anything helpful- instead, he left me feeling that I was not worthy of his time, energy, or effort.

Because he did not make any effort to listen or truly help, he missed an opportunity to not only make a sale, but to show common courtesy.

And I was still without a suit.

A rival chain store was nearby, so I stopped there. As I entered, I met William.

William also had the tape measure and reading glasses, but he had a smile, warmth, and questions.

He asked what I was looking for, where I lived, what I did for a living, how often I wore a suit, how long I had been in ministry, how soon I would need the suit if it required alterations.

Because of a seasonal markdown, I could actually buy two suits with my budget, and he advised me to do the basic black I needed, but also a more youthful brown.

He spent well over an hour with me- measuring, adjusting, and giving me time to consider options and styles. I mentioned my plans to a wedding the next weekend, and he offered to have any alterations done quickly so I would not have to make another trip to Nashville.

I drove home that day with not only the clothes I needed, but with more confidence, a sense of being heard and helped, and a great impression of that man and his store.

Now years later, I still have “William the Suit Guy” saved in my phone, and I have shopped with that company several times since.

Small encounters matter a great deal.

People we encounter every day may appear to have widely differing needs, but each person wants to feel seen, appreciated, and valued.

For all I know the man at the first store was just having a bad day, but I still remember how I felt when I walked out of his store and the stark contrast when I left after my time with William a few hours later.

While person’s faith must be grounded in truth and not based on feelings alone, how we choose to respond when people ask us about our faith will either welcome conversations or will serve to shut down even the most eager, curious people.

I pray that our hearts will be more attuned to hear what people are truly saying, and our words and actions might point them to our Lord who loves, listens, and truly cares about each person.

Harvest Time Is Here

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We find ourselves once again in the midst of the harvest season here in rural West Tennessee.

For the next few weeks, farmers will continue to labor to bring forth from the fields the abundance of what has grown over the last several months. We are blessed to live in an agricultural community- where we live daily in connection with both the bounty and burdens that come with being stewards of the land.

Composed in the midst of agrarian cultures, Scripture turns often to the images of planting, husbandry, and harvest as present physical realities that illustrate eternal spiritual truth. In the narratives of the Bible, sowing, tending, and reaping are near constant themes.

Like our ancestors, we come to appreciate that tomorrow’s harvest is based on yesterday’s labors.

No realistic farmer would live in the expectation of a vast harvest to come unless many hours of preparation and planting had already occurred.

While this may seem obvious to us who are familiar with the sight of planters and sprayers giving way to scenes of combines and cotton pickers as the seasons change, we often ignore this principle spiritually.

Many churches and communities look up one day to appoint new leaders or to recruit new volunteers and realize the preparation for these roles should have been initiated long before the workers were needed.

What holds true in our churches holds true in our own hearts.

If we are unwilling to cultivate our lives faithfully, we should not expect the most fruitful harvest.

God can, and does, bring forth unexpected blessings, but our responsibility to plant faithfully and tend consistently in His kingdom today is His appointed way to prepare the harvest we long to see in the future.

As with physical farming, we also acknowledge that a given season’s harvest is impacted by many factors- some we can control and some we cannot.

Sickness, economics, and the decisions of others can all powerfully affect the outward results of our lives. Despite seeking to be faithful and to lean into God’s leading, we sometimes face tough seasons of loss, hurt, or personal challenges.

Faithful living, like faithful farming, comes by adjusting as best we can to these circumstances we can never fully predict.

The life of faith requires the daily choice to keep trusting and keep working in spite of the unforeseen hardships we face. As believers, we rest in God’s faithfulness, and from this assurance, we labor in love to share His gifts and to bless others day by day.

We also come to understand that the opportunity to harvest must be seized when the time is right.

If we panic and gather too soon, we pick a crop that is immature, not fully formed, and suffer loss. If we wait for perfect conditions to arrive, we risk a crop that is too dry, water-damaged, insect-compromised, or impacted by the coming of winter.

It is the goal of the farmer, as well as the active disciple, to develop an understanding of different soils, seeds, moisture, geography, and weather conditions, and to come to appreciate the “just right” moment to gather in the crop.

When the moment is right, it becomes a race against time and the factors of life to garner in the crop while it will yield the best result.

Such a sense of timing, both in farming and in discipleship, is best gained by imitating those who have gone before and learning through our own experiences over a lifetime of faithful living.

Humanity’s roots in farming are ancient, but the applications we can gain spiritually from observing the physical harvest are as fresh as a crisp fall morning.

May we not neglect to appreciate and value what God’s created order reveals about our own hearts.

Come aside and rest awhile…

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We have all experienced situations where we could sense the momentum of the moment was shifting dramatically.

The excitement swelling up in a crowd at a concert when the first chords of the band’s hit song are struck. The rush taking over in a crowded gym as one team enters the zone where they can do nothing wrong and the other can seem to do nothing to stop them. The shift moving through a tense meeting when one idea rises to the top and soon carries the conversation.

In such moments of excitement and power, we often feel both a sense that we cannot let the opportunity pass and also a feeling that we are caught up in something far bigger than ourselves.

I believe wanting to act on momentum while still appreciating the real danger of being overwhelmed by activity was an issue in the early church.

These believers were truly on the cutting edge of a movement that in the span of one lifetime “turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6), and yet most were common, everyday people without formal training in either theology or ministry (Acts 4:13).

It would have been easy to get caught up in the momentum that accompanied the miracles and mission work and to lose their grounding as servants of Jesus.

In our own time, we do not have to look hard to see men and women committed to God’s work who have become battered by stress, overwhelmed by burnout, and collapsed under moral or relational failure.

How did Jesus respond during His earthly ministry when His disciples brought news of the skyrocketing momentum and constant activity in their ministries?

In Mark 6, Jesus commissions His apostles to go out in pairs to teach, heal, and share the good news in the power of the Spirit. Almost immediately, these efforts yield huge results as the sick, possessed, and hurting are brought to them and restored- opening the door to their preaching and teaching.

The crowds are flocking to receive blessing and hear the truth. When they report back to Jesus later in the same chapter (Mk 6:30), they relate to Jesus all that is happening through their teaching and miracle-working.

In the midst of a thronging crowd so dense they did not even have time to break to eat, Jesus says, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest awhile.” (Mk 6:31)

In a moment of great momentum and excitement, Jesus calls for them to pull back and to rest and refocus.

This strategy is certainly opposite of what we would expect of a charismatic leader or any public figure today.

Rather than pushing them to bigger numbers and pressing into deeper and deeper activity, Jesus discerns that their incredible report calls for intentional rest.

The crowds can, and in fact do, keep coming, but Jesus acknowledges that there is a danger in becoming overextended- even in the best of all possible causes.

Connection with Jesus Himself, rather than the signs, the wonders, and even the doctrine, proved to be the essential element needed to maintain and grow health and holiness among the first disciples.

I would suggest that the same is true for us as followers of Christ today.

Momentum is a blessing, but it can never be allowed to become the primary factor in building and sustaining a ministry or a movement.

Spiritual maturity and deep relationships will always sustain us longer than passing momentum and exciting circumstances.

Momentum yields powerful fruits and blesses us in certain seasons, but our long-term connections with Christ, Scripture, and fellow believers provide the roots that continually equip us with the subtle strength we will need for a lifetime of faith.

Will change make us bitter or better?

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Photo by Miguel Á. Padriñán

We are living through a time of tremendous shifts- political, social, cultural, and spiritual.

Who deserves blame? Who deserves credit?

Does it matter how we respond to times of change? How can we respond faithfully to times of transition in our world?

As we live by faith, we must acknowledge that change is a part of life.

In our country’s history, we can consider that Civil War veterans lived to see the Great Depression, and only six decades passed between the first airplane flight and the Apollo moon landing. As many noted yesterday, many children born after September 11, 2001 are now adults with some already serving in the military.

Time truly marches on.

Major changes are a part of not only our specific national history, but the overall ongoing passage of time.

The wise speaker of Ecclesiastes 3 declared that “to everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.”

In this passage’s contrasting list, birth and death, planting and harvest, breaking down and building up, along with many other cycles of life, are shared as proof that the one constant is the presence of change.

Change is not only possible in our lives- it is certain.

Our faith cannot prevent change, but it does equip us with a spiritual perspective when changes come.

By faith, we come to be able to acknowledge, accept, and even welcome needed changes.

The last few decades have witnessed dramatic transformations in so many areas of our lives. Technology and transportation advances alone have made everything from our shopping to our missionary support easier, safer, and more convenient.

Socially, changes have occurred that believers should welcome gladly. The Civil Rights Movement for racial equality, awareness to better care for God’s created world, and laws to prevent the exploitation of children, the elderly, and those living with disabilities have all been major changes.

We all tend to resist change unless we can see the benefit in human terms and in the impact changes have on people we love. Change is constant, but as believers we can work to guide the changes in our families, communities, and larger world.

What we do today may well be changed later, but as those seeking to live for Jesus, our goal is to share the life-changing message of Christ.

If we fail to keep His message at the center, and instead cling to one beloved method, we run the risk of losing our grounding in changing times.

All change creates uncertainty, but it is our faith that equips us to hold fast to God as we face the challenges those changes bring.

Change is scary, but the God we serve has not changed- He has not wearied or faded or lost interest in His people.

In times of change, we cannot let our fear of what might happen next blind us to the faithfulness of God in the past.

As change rapidly occurs around us in many areas of life, we can be tempted to default to an appreciation of the past coupled with discouragement in the present and despair about the future.

When we allow the specter of change to overwhelm us, we miss out on seeing the good and precious things God is doing right now in the lives of His people.

Will the forces of change overwhelm us?

Will the constant currents around us drive our roots deeper into better connection with Christ or will these same changes in our world make us petty and bitter towards others?

The changes are certain- how we respond as God’s people is up to us.

Where Wisdom Waits

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Seeing hundreds of photos of local children returning to school last week, I could not help but recall teachers who impacted my own life.

Some taught students effectively due to high doses of both energy and engagement.

Others were dedicated to their particular subject and taught with a contagious intensity.

As I grew older, I came to see the power of a teacher who not only could provide correct information but who could push students to ask deeper questions. Knowledge of the correct information is key, but sharing that information in a way that causes students think more fully is a mark of our wisest teachers.

While knowledge and wisdom are at times parallel and often intertwine, the ability to apply what we know to how we live ultimately passes beyond “just the facts” and into the realm of true wisdom.

Knowledge tells us what we have in front of us, but wisdom helps us decide how to live faithfully with whatever we have.

Scripture reveals that true wisdom comes from God. We are reminded that if we lack wisdom, we should ask, and God will give it generously (James 1:5).

Often in life, we become frustrated as if attempting to put together an elaborate toy or piece of furniture. It looks simple enough, and so we race ahead soon finding ourselves lost in the complex assembly. If we keep at this task long enough, we realize (or perhaps are told by an onlooker) that we should have read the directions first.

Spiritually, we often do the same.

Rather than seeking to know God’s will and asking for the wisdom to live each day, we rush ahead and only ask for help once the trouble hits. Such an attitude may seem like independence, but our repeated refusals to ask for help only further prove our lack of godly wisdom and genuine humility.

The Bible also teaches that wisdom comes not only directly from God but from the counsel of others who have faced the trials of life before us. A foolish person believes he is the first person to ever face his particular problem, but a wise person seeks out the advice of others (Prov 12:15).

A lot of us want to go our own way and to do things according to our own understanding. In some areas of life such confidence can be a blessing, but we are foolish if we allow self-confidence to prevent us from seeking out the wisdom others have gained through time and experience.

Wisdom understands that learning from others shows strength rather than weakness.

A person without wisdom is a great waster of time.

This individual sees the future either as too immediate to change or too far away to be concerned about.

When God’s Word tells us to walk in wisdom, one aspect of a such a life is “redeeming the time” (Eph 5:15-17). One who possesses wisdom understands that time is precious and will seek to make the most of each moment.

Knowledge can give us the facts we need to act, but wisdom tells us when action is needed and what action is best.

Knowledge can be sought, processed, and quantified while wisdom is received through prayer, discerned through conversations, and demonstrated through faithful actions.

May we come to appreciate how much we need not only to know the right answers, but to ask better questions and to faithfully apply godly wisdom to our lives.

“For What Is Your Life?”

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In speaking of the brevity of life, James 4:14 offers this insight,

“For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.”

Few of us who have lived long in this life would deny this truth.

One day we are nervous about our first day of school and the next we are watching our own grandchildren walk across the stage at their graduations.

Despite knowing that even the longest life is brief, we often live an unexamined life under the impression that we will have more time.

While we cannot know the exact length of our days or the challenges they will bring, we can and should choose the mindset we embrace as we move through our lives.

When looking at the issues facing our world, some will choose to live a constantly critical life.

There is certainly much wrong in our world- destructive weather and tragic accidents, crime and violence, corruption and injustice, disease and spiritual darkness.

All of us who are paying attention see these challenges and these hardships, but we consider the many bad situations side-by-side with the good that exists around us.

The one who chooses the critical life ends up actually wanting to be cynical and bitter so the truth of his own judgment proves true- and he comes to discount any aspect of reality that would prove there is good left and hope alive.

To paraphrase the folk song, this person sees what he wants to see and disregards the rest.

Such a critical life not formed in a moment, but by many small negatives that compound over time.

Not everyone will choose this cynical criticism, but many of us will choose to lead highly compartmentalized lives.

In order survive in an often harsh world, we divide our larger lives into smaller sections and parts that, at least in theory, can be managed more easily.

We may have “work life,” “family life,” “school life,” “church life,” and so on. We come to think we can keep these areas of life from overlapping too much, and we approach each day with the idea of divide and conquer.

We often come to realize that while this compartmentalization may be efficient for a season, it becomes an unfulfilling and often conflicted way to live.

We may do a lot, but nothing is done fully or well.

If our compartments conflict, we end up living with more self-created tension and anxiety.

Amid those who are critical of others or so compartmentalized that they struggle to be genuine, there are those who will choose a committed, Christ-centered life.

Both the commitment and the focus on Christ are vital to those who take this path.

On the surface, a committed life of any kind may sound positive, but it is only better if our guiding commitments are set upon the right things.

Being Christ-centered is essential, but we must be centered in Him and committed to Jesus over the course of time- not just in the excited enthusiasm that often accompanies conversion.

To be both committed and Christ-centered will form the lasting components that shape a faithful life.

Life is brief, and yet the life we choose shapes not only our own souls but impacts the many lives that intersect our own.

We cannot know what will befall us or how soon our vapor will vanish, but we can commit and center our days in the One who not only knows our paths but values our lives far more than we can ever fully understand.

Distractions I Love

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Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

If you use social media, you have likely seen several different versions of this type of article.
My hope is it will serve as a reminder to all of us and a simple encouragement to share with young parents who may need it this week.

Once again, you are sitting in worship, and your child is restless.

Perhaps even moving around and getting noisy. You try to calm them down, and things only seem to get louder. You try to pacify them with a small snack, toy, or whispered encouragement, and nothing works. You wrestle with them, and debate whether to wait out the moment or take them outside.

You feel like you are distraction either way.

All the while, you are a little embarrassed, and maybe a little frustrated too. You look around and seem like the only one fighting this fight. You might even think to yourself, “There’s not much point in coming to worship. I can’t focus on the service because I am constantly caring for my kid(s), and I know we are distracting others. What’s the use?”

I humbly suggest you take another look around.

The widow over there quietly gives thanks at the sight of you wrestling with your little one. She was once where you are once, and she knows how hard it can be. Oh, she remembers, but she smiles because to hear small children and see young parents here brightens her day. She received some discouraging test results this week, but even without that recent blow, time tells her that her race of faith is nearing its end. Overhearing the loudly-whispered questions of your little one takes her back to her own youth, her friends, and their families, all gone now, who once shared this sacred space.

That older man who always seems to be a bit grouchy sees you too. He’s always going on about how young people these days have no respect or sense of respect. The world is bad and getting worse is the message repeated each night on the news, but he sees your young family in worship each week, and he can tell how hard you work to be there. He knows something about hard work and hard times. Whether or not he can admit it, seeing (and hearing) your noisy kids gives him a little hope that maybe world isn’t doomed after all. No one would call him an expert on church trends, but even he knows it would be far easier to stay home or head to the lake or the ballpark after a hard week.

The preacher who may look tired and frustrated is not wearied by your presence but because he spent his Saturday night sitting up with a sick church member at the hospital, sharing an infrequent evening with just his own family, or waking early a few hours ago to pray for God to bless today’s lesson. His fatigue is not from your kids- in fact, their presence is a treasured reminder that God is still working in this place.

Keep on bringing your children to worship. As hard as it might be at times when half-asleep and worn down from the week, keep that connection strong. You are an encouragement to so many, and you are placing your children upon a strong foundation.

Whatever we make time for in life is seen as a default priority.

If we set the priority of attending worship as a family when our kids are small, it is far more likely to be second nature for our children as they grow older, make their own choices, and face even more distractions.

For the rest of us, young parents and their kids who are making the effort to be present should never be seen as distractions.

Their commitment is essential- not only to the future but to the present life and impact of every church family.