September 6, 2022
How I Became a Spiritual Father
June 15, 2018 | Colin Johnson
From a young age, I knew that all I wanted was to have a family-to-be a husband- and most of all a father. Now, I am lucky enough I to father my beautiful two-year-old, Whidbey Zelda Juniper Johnson--Zelda (my choice for her middle name) and Juniper (my wife’s choice for her middle name). Over the last few years, my dreams and prayers have been answered to be a husband and father.
”Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. He will not be put to shame when he confronts the enemies at the gate.” Psalm 127:4-5
God has given me an opportunity to raise someone up and to give them access to go further and further in God’s kingdom. The Psalm says that I will not be put to shame by my enemy if I raise and train my child in the way of Christ. Warriors train and become one with the arrow - it is an extension of them. Our children should be an extension of Christ in the same way we are.
Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6
Like an arrow, children, when sent down the correct path will keep going forward. Fathers, we are challenged and given a gift from God to move the kingdom forward. When I read these verses, I am reminded of the ways that I have struggled to be a good father. I find myself questioning almost everything. How can I work and provide but also not be distracted by work? How can I help her understand who she is in Christ when we won’t have some of the same struggles? Am I worthy of even doing this? How can I, a flawed man, raise a child? All of these are struggles that I have had. Each one I have prayed over, and in the midst of each of these struggles, God has shown that I am worthy. He has shown me that I am a good father. Most importantly, He has shown me that if I reach for him and try to be like Christ, who is the perfect example of love, then I can be an example of love and life in my daughter’s life.
When God answers he also asks that we push further because he has so much more for us.
After answering my prayer to become a father and a husband, God put it on my heart to pour out more. When this happened, I had an opportunity to start serving in Student Ministries. At first, I didn’t feel like it was going to be the right fit because I wasn’t trained, didn’t feel like the typical student leader “mold”, and didn’t have a Biblical Degree. After pressing into the call, trusting God and also having others challenge me to give it time, I found out that I was a great fit. I was a great fit because that was where God was calling me. Each and every time I get to connect with students and pour into them as a spiritual father, I get to follow the Father's will.
Now, you may be wondering what I mean by saying a spiritual father. If you don’t have children, don’t feel you can’t help them! God may be calling you to love by being a spiritual father to them. Kathy Smerrella on Mother’s Day spoke about this. I am not the physical father to students, but I can help connect them to the heavenly father. God does not call the Qualified he Qualifies the called. I would say anyone who has ever felt they want to share and pour out should press into finding a way to be that spiritual parent, be it children’s ministry, student ministry, student mentoring or any other opportunity God may bring along.
James 1:27, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
In
Colin is the Assistant Director of Student Ministries & Weekend Celebrations. Half of his job is serving with the weekend celebrations and making sure they run as smooth as they can. The second half is in Student Ministries where he gets to share God’s love with kids. Colin is happily married to his beautiful wife, Erin and together they have a Whidbey (their child).