…Like a Father

Encouraging, Comforting, and Imploring Like a Father

Paul as he wrote to the Thessalonian believers throughout the entire letter communicated his genuine and deep love for them. One of the ways that he describes his care for them is found in these words:

As you know, like a father with his own children, we encouraged, comforted, and implored each one of you to walk worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. (1 Th 2:11–12)

Paul makes an assumption here that is important for fathers to consider. He describes his understanding of a father as one to encourage, comfort, and implore his children. The idea of encouraging and comforting deals with building up and cheering up. You can see the imagery as a father cheers on their child in their good moments and comforts them in their bad moments! A father is to be one that speaks to their child and builds them up. A father is someone who comforts their children by meeting them where they are, caring for them, and cheering them up if they can. 

They also implore their children. Another way that this is understood is they urge their children towards something. They warn them and correct them with the truth. These are the moments where dad has to play the role of warning their child when they’re making a decision they shouldn’t and correcting their child when they have made the wrong decision. We have all been the recipient of these moments! 

The unique thing about this picture Paul uses to demonstrate the depth of his care for these believers is that it teaches us some characteristics of fathers that are expected of fathers. Yet, I think it also paints a picture of what spiritual fatherhood looks like. 

These three actions that characterize Paul’s understanding of fathers leads him to connect how he emulated each of these for these believers “to walk worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.” His spiritual fatherhood was shown in that He was deeply and personally invested into these believers for the purpose of walking worthy of God. Faithful fatherhood invests into a child’s godliness. 

To our Fathers and Father-figures, a father is mentally, emotionally, personally, and spiritually invested into the lives of their children. Does that characterize how you love, disciple, and care for your children?

Pastor John