The following is a guest post from one of my favorite human beings.  Davis Price is a graduating senior from our church, and one of the best people you will meet.  In addition to a fun podcast interview I did with him here, I asked Davis to share his thoughts on how being a pastor’s kid shaped his life.  Enjoy.  And if you don’t personally know Davis, you’re mission out.

Four Ways God Shaped Me Through Being a Pastor’s Kid

As a pastor’s kid, I’ve grown up completely drenched in Baptist culture. Therefore, I’ve been to more potluck dinners than I can count, and spent many hours in Sunday school, Wednesday night services, church camps etc. With all of this in mind, I think that being a pastor’s kid has given me a tremendous advantage, spiritually, relationally, and in terms of my work ethic. Here’s four ways that God has shaped me through being a pastor’s kid.

First off, as a 17-year-old, I’ve had more ministry opportunities than most Christians might get in a lifetime.  For instance, I went on my first international mission trip when I was seven, and my family started serving through foster care when I was eight. God gave me these opportunities to grant me perspective on a worldly scale, not only of how blessed I am, but more importantly, how God has blessed us to be a blessing to others – not only with our finances, but with our time, our prayers, our homes.

Another way God has shaped me is placing higher standards on me. As a pastor’s kid, I’ve gotten to live under higher scrutiny, because of the much higher potential consequences for my family. The adults in the church usually know who I am as well, and they have elevated expectations for me as well. Although I used to see these standards as an obstacle to enjoying life, I’ve seen how God has used them to protect me from more unwise decision making.

God has also shaped me through giving me early practice in meaningful relationships, especially with older adults. When I was four or five, my dad took me out of preschool and let me walk around and “help” the church janitor, Bill. Bill would play games with us, and have my brother and I do talent shows, (I would always win). I still talk to Bill on a weekly basis, and he never ceases to make me laugh, and always asks me what’s going on in my life. Doug Ericson is a man who has modeled well for me how a Godly man should live, and should love others, and he has spent so many hours encouraging me to walk with God. Whether it’s studying the bible together, going to watch basketball, or an encouraging text, God has blessed me by surrounding me with wise men who are willing, and eager to invest in my life.

The most impactful way God has shaped me through being a pastor’s kid is the family I’ve gotten to grow up with. Both biological, and my greater church family have molded me into the person I am today. Since my dad preaches, I’ve been at church every Sunday I was in town, and therefore been active since birth. The vast amount of time in my life that’s been dedicated to church has given me a solid foundation in terms of biblical doctrine, as well as biblical story knowledge. More than all of this though, as a pastor’s kid, my dad not only leads our church body well, but he runs our home even better. He loves and serves others like no other, and I’ve gotten to witness many people come and live with us for extended periods of time, because when there’s a need, my dad looks to fill it. The model of authentic love and a servant’s heart are things that I hope to pass on to my children.

Although being a pastor’s kid brings higher standards and higher scrutiny, it has made me want to seek God because I have been blessed to see what families who strive to serve God look like. Their lives are usually more difficult or chaotic, but their reward is so much greater. Being a part of a church family where we really love each other, and really love Jesus and want to serve him is a bigger blessing than anything I could imagine.