What is the Father’s business? Many who are in full time ministry would say they are doing the Father’s business, others who desire to be in full time ministry would say they are wanting to work in the Father’s business, so what exactly is the Father’s business? I saw a statement someone made this week that said, serving the Lord is the highest priority in life, everything else comes second. The one and only comment under this statement was, “Are you married?” This is the context in which I asked the Lord, what exactly is the Father’s business that many claim to be doing, that many claim to value so highly, Lord, what is the Father’s business. His answer, Luke 2:46-52.
Luke 2:46-52 says, “After three days of separation, they finally found Him—sitting among a group of religious teachers in the temple—asking them questions, listening to their answers. 47 Everyone was surprised and impressed that a 12-year-old boy could have such deep understanding and could answer questions with such wisdom. 48 His parents, of course, had a different reaction. Son, why have You treated us this way? Listen, Your father and I have been sick with worry for the last three days, wondering where You were, looking everywhere for You. 49 Why did you need to look for Me? Didn’t you know that I must be working for My Father? 50 Neither Mary nor Joseph really understood what He meant by this. 51 Jesus went back to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. His mother continued to store these memories like treasures in her heart. 52 And Jesus kept on growing—in wisdom, in physical stature, in favor with God, and in favor with others.”
The Father’s business is sitting, listening, learning, asking questions, listening to answers, gaining wisdom and deep understanding. This is the Father’s business. Paul did it when He spent 14 years in the Arabian desert; Moses did it when he spent 40 years on the backside of a mountain, before he picked up the Israelites to lead them through the wilderness; Mary did it when she sat at Jesus’ feet and was told she had the better portion and it would not be taken from her. Scripture is riddled with people who were doing the Father’s business of listening and learning, so they had deep understanding and wisdom.
Today people will say they are doing the Father’s business as they build another church, preach another sermon, establish another program, go on another mission trip, but this is not the Father’s business. The reality that the majority of leaders in the church are not doing the Father’s business is evidenced in the multiple echo’s we hear, but next to no voices. Preaching something someone else has been saying for years, because building something external is more important, more glamourous, more visible than building yourself inside strong and building others the same way. Paul spent more time traveling than he did preaching and he was more effective than all the preachers on the earth today. Why? Because he like, Mary, Moses and Jesus all knew what the Father’s business was and they worked in it.
2 Chronicles 7:14 says, “If My people [a]who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” The healing of our land starts with humility, humility is admitting you are not who you think you are and you are not doing what you think you are doing. Humility is a nice way of saying, repent. Repent, return to the Father’s business, stop being busy doing nothing, for you may feel important, but it is evidenced to the world and the church alike that we are not about our Father’s business.
I know it is not glamourous; I know no one will see what you are building; I know that it is not evidenced right away; but the apostles among us, that have been doing the Father’s business are not being trained to have sudden prosperity, they are being trained for a battle that is about to ensue. When Joshua was handed the role of leader when Moses died, it was not for prosperity, debt cancellation or some other suddenly blessing, it was for a battle. The first thing Joshua did was go to battle against Jericho, a thickly walled city. This is where we are headed, to a battled with a thickly walled people, who have been wounded by the echo’s, the empty promises, the pain of many experiences that have gone unhealed. We are headed to battle, this is why the Father’s business is building people inside strong!