PASTOR'S KID
Photo by Davy Kesey; Edit by Jordan Click
“For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.”
“Having a form of godliness but denying its power….always learning, but never able to acknowledge the truth.”
Romans 1:21-23; 2 Timothy 3:5/7
These words terrify me. These words terrify me because I know how many of my friends—those whom I love deeply—are described by these words. They terrify me because I know how close I’ve come to letting them describe me.
I'm a pastor’s kid.
For us, these words are our death sentence.
It’s a wonder how my heart didn’t get any harder than it did.
Football chaplain for WVU and Texas Tech.
Full-time staff with Campus Crusade for Christ (CRU)
Missionaries in Japan
Full-time Staff with many, many churches, including mega churches.
Ordained minister
Full-time evangelists
Spiritual parents and grandparents to thousands, including influential leaders of the faith today.
I’ve always been so proud of my parents.
Despite being good things, the truth is every single one of these things has contributed to one lie in my head: I know it all because my parents know it all.
I’ve been proud of myself, too.
FCA small group leader
Youth leader
Pastor in Training
NAMB Missionary
Christian Studies/Missions Major
PRAY founder
BSU Impact team leader
This was my resume. I placed it before God, myself, and my friends.
I fooled even my own heart.
It took years for me to see real truth.
It took years for me to see real power.
It took years for me to see Jesus.
Every time I sit down in a church, I fight countless lies.
“I already know this.” “I’ve already seen this.” “I don’t need this again.”
The truth, however, is so opposite this.
The truth says our past doesn't matter and His power is our promise.
The truth says it’s not in our past experiences; it’s in our present belief.
Whether our past feels like our burden or our blessing,
Our righteousness is now.
Our healing is now.
Our mission is now.
It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve heard Jesus loves you.
It matters how many times you believe it.
Every time you believe it, true change is happening.
See, for pastor’s kids, the fight is deep in a different way.
New life feels like the old life.
Jesus isn't just different, he's not original.
Standing up and saying something felt new isn’t difficult because it isn’t what the world says. It’s difficult because you were supposed to say it ten years ago. Getting baptized, responding to a sermon, or praying something new isn't just taking a step away from the world, it's admitting a part of the church you didn’t already "master." It’s admitting, despite two decades, there is still something you didn’t get. There is still more to be had.
The Bible says the devil disguises himself as an angel of light. See, for pastors kids, I think a lot more false light is in our homes and our hearts than we think. This is the hardest thing to admit.
What has become familiar to us as knowledge and truth and experience are actually darkness. It' actually layers of jadedness, guilt, shame, and pride.
Fighting these layers takes daily steps into “the already familiar” in new ways. It takes admitting daily: we might not have gotten it the first time, and we may have more to get out of what we already knew than what we thought. It takes asking Jesus daily for his power to break through our defenses and the layers aroud our hearts.
Thankfully,
“From childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”
2 Timothy 3:14-17
