I love adventure. Maybe it’s in my DNA as a man, or maybe there is a longing in my soul I’m trying to fulfill. I really enjoy hiking, camping, and traveling. And when I’m not on my own adventures, I love to watch adventure movies or read books about other people’s adventures.
Now, I’m nowhere on the same level as Marco Polo or Bear Grylls, but I would usually prefer to be hiking in the woods or exploring a new city than sitting at home. My wife and I have taken our kids to 47 of the 50 US States, and I have currently visited 25 of 63 US National Parks. I am constantly dreaming and planning about exploring even more.
Yet, as exhilarating as those adventures are, there are two adventures that are exponentially more exciting, terrifying, and important. You may not realize it, but if you are reading this, chances are that you are on at least one of those adventures right now: the adventures of faith and fatherhood. And when these two adventures combine, they form one epic journey with eternal implications.
Now, you might be asking, “Michael, how are faith and fatherhood adventures?” Well, I’m glad you asked.
An adventure is an exciting journey or experience that usually involves danger and risk. Both faith and fatherhood are journeys characterized by progression and growth throughout life. And both faith and fatherhood involve danger and risk. Ever stepped on your kid’s Legos while barefoot or tried to sneak a bowl of ice cream after putting the kids to bed? Danger. Risk.
Like I said earlier, I love reading a good adventure story, and almost every good adventure story has five main elements: a hero, a villain, a quest, danger, and a transformation of the protagonist. So let’s take a look at each of those in the adventure of faith and fatherhood.
The Hero
Typically, the protagonist in a story is the hero of the story, and if you’re like me, you usually envision yourself in the hero’s place. We love to imagine ourselves slaying the dragon, rescuing the princess, defeating the bad guys, or scoring the winning touchdown. Can’t you just hear the crowd cheering for you?
But there is an important truth that we as dads must understand about this adventure: we are not the hero. While we may be a hero, Jesus is the ultimate hero in the story.
We will look at this in greater detail in a moment, but there is a villain and our families are in great danger. But we cannot save our families, because we can’t even save ourselves. Fortunately, Jesus can and does.
The Apostle Paul says in Ephesians 2:5 that God “made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved” (NIV). A few verses later, Paul says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9, NIV).
We aren’t saved by our own heroic efforts; we are saved by God’s amazing grace. We aren’t THE Hero, but we can be the biggest hero a man can be by leading our kids to the love and grace of Jesus Christ.
The Villain and the Danger
If there is a hero, there must also be a villain, and with the villain comes danger. But the villain in our story isn’t fictional; the devil is very real.
Now, what comes to your mind when you think of this villain? A red guy with horns, a goatee, and a trident? Get that cartoonish image out of your mind. The Bible paints a very real and terrifying picture of our villain throughout Scripture.
Our hero, Jesus, battled him in Matthew 4, and Jesus described him as a “thief” who “comes only to steal, kill, and destroy” (John 10:10a, NIV). And the Apostle Peter warned us about him this way: “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8, NIV).
The devil is very real and wants nothing more than to destroy everyone, including you and your family. He wants to tear us away from God and condemn us to eternity in hell. But there is hope, and this leads us to our very important quest.
The Quest
Luke Skywalker, Bilbo, Frodo, Indiana Jones, Shrek, The Blues Brothers. All found themselves on an epic quest. And like Jake and Elwood, “we’re on a mission from God.”
Unfortunately, many Christians mistakenly believe that their mission is to go to church, be moral, and vote correctly. While those might have some value, we have been called to a much more exciting and important quest.
Jesus’ invitation to “Follow me” was not just for people in the New Testament. That invitation remains for all of us. Jesus invites us on an adventurous quest with him, but that quest is a daily challenge. He says, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23b, NIV).
Any quest has an element of danger, and this quest is certainly no exception. Remember, there is a real villain who wants to stop us from completing this quest. But Jesus makes us this promise: “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20b, NIV). He promises to be with us every step of this quest. But what is that quest?
We will take a more in depth look at this quest in a later post, but the concise answer can be found in what Jesus says right before he promises to be with us “always, to the very end of the age.” Jesus gives all of his followers this mission: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20b, NIV).
That quest to make disciples of all nations starts at home. As dads, we can’t neglect our responsibility to make disciples of our own children; neither should we be content to only make sure that our own kids get to heaven. Rather, Christ is calling us to guide our children to join the mission of Christ on the exciting adventure of bringing his good news to the entire world!
The Transformation
My sons and I are currently reading J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit. This morning we got to the part where Bilbo Baggains enters the mountain passage that leads to the great dragon, Smaug. The narrator commented that it felt like a long time since Bilbo and the Dwarves had first prepared to embark on their quest to defeat Smaug. I immediately thought about the validity of that statement, because Bilbo had drastically changed from the start of his journey to this point.
Bilbo very reluctantly joined the Dwarves on this adventure and was much more content remaining in the comfort of his Hobbit hole. Even though part of him still wished he was back home, now that he is at Smaug’s doorstep, Bilbo is the one leading the charge into the mountain.
Adventurous quests change us, but nothing changes a person like journeying with Jesus. There is a supernatural transformation that occurs through the power of the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul says that followers of Jesus are “transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18, NIV).
This journey with Jesus combined with the journey of fatherhood has changed me like nothing else. God continues to mold and shape my heart and mind through my relationship with my kids, and he constantly reveals his heart for me as my Heavenly Father through my experience as a father for my children.
This is the adventure. This is what The Dadventures is all about: navigating the journey of faith and fatherhood. It’s exciting, and it’s perilous. It’s fulfilling, and it’s challenging. And if you’re up for it, I hope you will join me on this incredible journey.
Click here to read Part 2 of The Dadventures series: The Hero
The Dadventures 