About, “Elder My City”
Despite what you may think of when you think of the word “elder,” this topic really matters today, perhaps more than ever before. I’ve been wrestling with this for years.
Here’s how I think of it:
Most men think leadership is something that happens at work or church. They’re building businesses, managing teams, climbing ladders, all while their households drift on autopilot.
But here’s the truth:
The way you lead your family today is preparing you for something far greater than only a career promotion.
The biblical progression isn’t accidental. It starts with...
Father in the home (1 Tim 3:4), to
Elder in the city (Prov 31:23), to
Ruler in the Kingdom (Luke 19:17-19).
Each stage builds on the last, and none can be skipped.
When you decide how to allocate your household budget, you’re developing the wisdom needed to govern assets. When you navigate conflict with your wife, you’re learning the patience required to mediate disputes. When you train your children, you’re practicing the same shepherding skills you’ll exercise over broader spheres of influence.
The Scriptures are clear:
“If anyone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?” (1 Timothy 3:4)
Fatherhood is both proving the ground and the training ground.
Becoming an elder isn’t about becoming an old man who passes offering plates. It’s not about the Mormon missionaries who come to your door. Biblical eldership is about men who are known at the city gates. These are men who serve their communities, govern with wisdom, manage assets well, lead their families faithfully, and guide others to do the same.
Every day, you’re either developing elder qualifications or neglecting them. There’s no neutral ground.
The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. (1 Timothy 3:1)
I’m wrestling through what this looks like in real time. What does it mean to aspire to this noble task? What does it mean to pursue eldership as a lifelong calling for men? How do we steward current responsibilities as preparation for future authority in the Kingdom? Because Jesus says in Luke 19 that those who acquire fruitful skills now will one day rule over cities in the Kingdom! (What?!)
My blog is where I work through these ideas, invite you into the struggle, and explore what it means to take seriously the calling to aspire to this noble task.
If you’re tired of drifting through fatherhood and want to approach your household and city as the Kingdom training it actually is, subscribe below. I’ll send you new posts as I publish them, usually wrestling through Scripture, sharing what I’m learning, and challenging the passive approach most men default to.
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The Podcast
The “Elder My City” podcast is where I think out loud before I know what I think. Each episode is me wrestling through fatherhood, eldership, and the Kingdom in real time, usually talking into my phone as I pace around my office.
