Real Stories of Gospel Patrons: Peter Ochs
The following was excerpted from 31 Gospel Patrons by John Rinehart. Each of the 31 patrons featured in the book was given opportunity to address several aspects of their journeys as thriving Kingdom stewards.
My name is Pete Ochs, and I'm an entrepreneur from Wichita, Kansas, interested in creating economic, social, and spiritual capital. I love to ride dirt bikes in the mountains of Colorado.
God's Generosity
For the first 40 years of my life, I viewed God as a distant Savior who was generous with his Son because he cared for my spiritual being. But I did not view him as being very concerned with my material possessions. When the light went on at the age of 40 and I came to a full understanding of stewardship versus ownership, things changed. When I changed from living for me to living for him, it soon became apparent that God was not only generous but wise and willing to help me be the best manager of the resources he had entrusted to me.
Giving
My father was a farmer and when I was 8 years old, I was playing in my father's shop a week before Christmas. I went looking for some wood for my project and found a brand new Radio Flyer Wagon and a big box of apples hidden under a tarp. Of course, I thought it was for me.
On Christmas Eve, my dad told us we needed to run an errand. He went to his shop and uncovered the wagon and asked me to help him put it in the car. I was distraught knowing it was now not for me. We drove to "the other side of town" and delivered the wagon and apples to a poor family with six kids. When they saw the wagon, they went crazy, and I learned my first lesson in the joy of generosity.
Dangers of Wealth
One of the dangers of wealth is that wealth creates complexity, and complexity takes your focus away from relationships. This is true for relationships with God, your family, and your friends. If wealth is consumed then it typically harms relationships, but if wealth is stewarded, then it can be used to build relationships.
Treasuring Jesus
God has granted me both financial success and financial failure. And I believe I have been granted that privilege because I can now see that success is not satisfying and failure is not fatal. God brings various circumstances into our lives so that we can be "mature and complete, not lacking anything," and that our total and only dependency should be on him.
I Wish I Knew
It's not a 90/10 deal, it's 0/100. God doesn't want 10% of our money, he wants 100% of our lives.
My Routine
One key habit that's powerful in my life is living with the attitude that everyone I meet is a divine appointment. Doing this forces me to ask how I can help or encourage everyone I come across.
Giving Decisions
When making giving decisions, my wife and I try to balance giving to both evangelism and mercy because we think the need for both is great. I would say that we have a strong focus on creating sustainability.
My Mission
I believe the Christian business community can have great impact on our country and our culture. And that is why I am such a fan of Gospel Patrons. Many of us have the opportunity to use not only our treasure for great Kingdom good but also our influence and expertise as well.
3 Words
If I could choose three words to be remembered by, I'd go with: Vision, Faith, and Courage.
Faith & Finance Perspective
Most of us who have been on a journey of stewardship for a while are familiar with the scriptural truths that motivate us toward deeper levels of generosity. We make our best efforts to honor Christ in stewarding what has been entrusted to us while acknowledging the struggles, setbacks, and temptations we face that can derail us.
But there’s nothing like the power of story to set us back on course when we lose our footing. Hearing others’ stories—and sharing our own—spurs us on by reminding us that we’re part of something much bigger than ourselves and our resources.
As you reflect on what Pete Ochs shares above (Watch more of Pete’s story here ), consider how you would describe the same aspects of your own journey—especially the three words you would choose to be remembered by. Consider sharing your story with other (or “soon to be”) patrons who may need an encouraging word to nudge them forward.
You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
- 2 Corinthians 3:2-3