There’s a lot of talk about how AI is going to replace many of the jobs in our world today.
Glenn Beck has a fascinating article that I recommend you read and think about.
Over the next decade, entire careers may be replaced by artificial intelligence. And I think that is a distinct possibility – even a likely reality. But there’s one career – or I prefer the term calling – that will never be replaced by AI.
AI will simply never be able to replace the job of a pastor.
Pastors hear God’s words, like the prophets of old, and deliver God’s message to His people. This is spiritual work. God speaks to the heart of man. He communes with man’s spirit. AI contains no spirit and therefore cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God.
It’s like trying to use a lightning cable when all you’ve got is a 30-pin phone. It’s not compatible.
I have no doubt that AI will be used – and probably is being used – to write sermons (oh the humanity!). But these sermons will be as dry as a creek bed during drought. AI has no ability to hear from God out of His living Word, and therefore cannot impart to us a message from God.
Yes, AI will be able to collate millions of sermons and commentaries and Bible studies and have a conversation with you about them. In fact, I think this is a good thing. I’ve personally used AI for biblical research. It’s amazing! It will even be able to apply those things to your specific situation. But it will not be able to hear from God directly. And that’s the difference.
AI will only have second-hand spiritual knowledge. Pastors and preachers have firsthand knowledge from God Himself – that is tailored to time, people, and place. It’s the difference between sitting with someone who sat with an author vs. sitting with the Author Himself.
I think this will become increasingly obvious as our use of AI becomes more prevalent. We will discover that AI is much better than us at problem-solving, and much worse at trying to give spiritual insight. At least I hope it will be obvious. My concern is that it will not be, and will pull many pastors and churches down into a place of second-hand spiritual relationship. But I digress….
A pastor with a calling will be needed and wanted the more that we merge with AI in our day-to-day lives. We will be intuitively aware that we need something beyond machine – something beyond intelligence – something spiritual.
Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.1 Peter 3:7
God’s Word (not me!) says that women are weaker than men, and that men should value them and care for them.
Weaker in what way, you might ask? Are women weaker mentally than men? Certainly not! The valedictorian of the college I serve at is often a woman! Are women weaker spiritually? Definitely not. Are women weaker emotionally Well,…sometimes….maybe alot?….maybe sometimes not at all.
But those areas are not the main thrust of this passage.
Are women weaker physically than men? Absolutely they are. It is God’s design, it is God’s plan, it is God’s template that men are stronger, bigger, faster, and generally taller than women.
And men are to be aware of that fact, and to put a value (honor) on their wives. When something is very valuable, what do you do with it? You protect it!
Men are made to be protectors. It is in our nature. It is in our physical design.
It’s 2:00AM and there is a loud noise downstairs in the house. Both husband and wife wake up. Who goes downstairs to check on the noise? The husband! It is built in to our nature as men!
Men are also spiritual protectors. We are also to lead our families spiritually (Ephesians 5) and that means protecting them from anyone who would negatively influence them.
I protect my marriage by making wise decisions.
I protect my children from negative influences and evil on the internet.
Perhaps the best illustration of a protector is a lion. A lion’s roar is one of the most powerful things in nature. I remember we were at the zoo with my family and we were on the other side of the zoo – far away from the lion enclosure – and you could still hear the lion roar from far away. And when it roared it made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. It makes you “stop in your tracks”. A lion’s roar can be heard up to 5 miles/8 kms away! And while all of that is interesting it’s even more interesting to study why a lion roars.
Scientist have discovered that a lion roars for several reasons. Sometimes a lion roars to warn off intruders. Other times a lion roars to startle prey so it’s easier to catch. Other times a lion roars to reunite his pride members who have been scattered. Sometimes a lion roars to attract a female lion (I’m sure you knew that). But the most interesting reason a lion roars is that he roars to declare dominion.
When a lion is in his own territory within his own domain, he will roar multiple times over the course of several hours – usually at night – when the pride is most vulnerable. The lion roars as if to communicate “I have dominion over this land, I am protecting and leading this pride.” The roar also sends a reassuring sound of security to the members of the lion’s pride.
Men: when was the last time you roared? When was the last time your family felt your protection and leadership in their life? When was the last time your family felt secure because of your presence?[2]
Real men are protectors.
[2] This illustration is largely from Tony Evan’s book “Kingdom Man”. I highly recommend it.
Real men are more developed physically than boys, and real men take care of their bodies.
This is especially good practice for Christian men, in light of 1 Corinthians 6:19-20:
Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Area #2: Mental Development
Real men take care of their minds, learn new things, grow in their knowledge and understanding and wisdom
Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. Proverbs 4:7
Men, read something this week! Turn off Youtube and read something!
Area #3: Relational Development
Real men live in peace and with love in their families and communities, helping others whenever needed. Real men have healthy relationships with those around them.
If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.Romans 12:18
Area #4: Character Development
Real men are men of integrity, of perseverance, of saying and doing what is right.
Character is who you are when everyone is looking, and who you are when no one is looking.
Area #5: Spiritual Development
A real man is serious about his relationship with Christ. A real man seeks to be discipled and to disciple others.
When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 1 Corinthians 13:11
Real men are developed. Men are mature.
A child by definition does not understand everything going on around him. This is usually proven when a young person gets married and moves out of their parent’s household and starts “adulting”. When you move out of your parent’s house you quickly realize all of the things that your mommy did for you and that you now have to do for yourself. Children are not fully responsible for things in the household. But when you have your own place, you are now the one responsible, and you must develop maturity very quickly.
A real man puts away childish speaking and thinking and understanding and actions in many areas of his life. The problem in society today is that we have a lot of men who are really living like little boys. They are really children. They have not put away those things from childhood.
The words “put away” mean to “abolish, bring to an end, to stop”. There are too many men in our world today who have not brought an end to their childhood.
A child is often easily offended and slow to forgive. Do you know any men like that?
A child wants instant gratification in their life. They don’t want to wait for things – they want it now. There’s a lot of men like that. A sign of maturity is being patient and delaying the reward for the appropriate time.
But real men learn to put away these childish behaviors and operate on a higher level. Real men accept their responsibility and their calling as men.
In the next post, we will look at five key areas of development.
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”Genesis 1:26
The word “dominion” means “to rule”. God made man to rule, to decide, to initiate.
God had already begun to bring Adam things to do. God gave Adam the job to name the animals – to be creative, to take initiative, to initiate. In other words, God brought Adam into a place and gave him some things to rule over and make decisions about.
And God does that same thing for men today. Men, God has placed you in a garden. He has given you people and things to care for.
Now, in the context of the whole story we also know that Adam’s task of carrying out dominion (or rule) could not sufficiently be done without assistance. That was the primary reason for creating a helper for Adam – to help him carry out his rule.
And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him. Genesis 2:18
When people read that God said it was “not good” for Adam to be alone, they frequently assume that God was helping Adam’s loneliness through creating a woman. They equate it simply to companionship. But it doesn’t say that. Interestingly, Adam doesn’t mention one time about being lonely. Eve was not created because Adam was lonely. She was created to help Adam with what he was initiating and responsible for.
God has created and equipped men to be initiators; and just like God put Adam in the garden of Eden and gave him freedom to rule and make decisions, God has put you in your own field to tend it and make decisions.
Real men tend their gardens! Real men do what needs to be done. Real men take ownership and leadership.
