A Father’s Reflection
As we enter into the "Father’s
Day" season, I have been pondering my role as a man (or as a father, daddy, father-in-law, grandfather,
godfathers, etc). What a change over the years! Three of my own children, 2
daughter-in-laws, my first grand-son to be born next month, I’m still learning
to be a father. And now with both my “fathers” in heaven, I am the senior man
with this awesome task. Without regard to our wishes, life is constantly
changing and we must change with it or be left behind, wondering what happened.
Does this reality strike fear in your heart if you are a man reading this?
So, where is the constant? On
what can we rely to be never-changing? “Jesus
Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever,” (Hebrews 13:8). He is the rock where we can firmly stand, guiding
our decisions in this crazy, sinful world – especially when it comes to what
kind of fathers we should be. But how?
The basic question is what sort
of relationship do we have with our Heavenly Father? “Love the Lord your God
with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These
commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on
your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the
road, when you lie down and when you get up,” (Deuteronomy 6:5-7).
So now we’re ready to be
fathers now, right? Not quite yet. Father, first, love your wife. “Husbands,
love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church,” (Ephesians 5:25). We’re building the foundation for fatherhood - LOVE. "Love
is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps
no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres." (I Corinthians 13: 4-7).
Now
we can get in the Word and find out how to be a father. “All
Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and
training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped
for every good work,” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). “Train a child in the way he should
go, and when he is old he will not turn from it,” (Proverbs 22:6).
Jesus told the parable of the
prodigal son as a way for us to understand God’s love for us. I also see a
human example of a father’s love. “…he ran to his son, threw his arms around
him and kissed him,” (Luke 15:20). Yeah, I know – different time, different
culture, different circumstances – yadda, yadda, yadda. Oh really? Do we show
this kind of love to our children or do we let our jobs, our hobbies, our
busyness, ourselves get in the way of acting on and demonstrating our love?
Shouldn’t our busyness be that
of fulfilling God’s plan for us? “Fathers, do not exasperate your children;
instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord,” (Ephesians
6:4). Don’t exasperate, does this mean that the only thing we do is play
with our children? I don’t think so. “My son, do not despise the LORD's
discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the LORD disciplines those he
loves, as a father the son he delights in,” (Proverbs 3:11-12). Is this
another way of saying get involved with every part of your children’s lives?
Delights! “
A few weeks ago, I spent
several hours reviewing “old home movies” with our children. I could see a
“pretty good” father being patient, kind, and loving to my three children, but
I also saw some of the flaws. I learned a lot just watching myself. “There
you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the
way you went until you reached this place," (Deuteronomy 1:31). “As a
father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who
fear him;” (Psalm 103:13).
Put it all together and it
spells FATHER (Daddy in my Children’s translation). Does your life spell FATHER
or more importantly DADDY? Mine doesn’t always. When it doesn’t, I feel as if I
lack integrity for I let something get in the way of doing those things that I
am called by God to do. “I know, my God, that you test the heart and are
pleased with integrity ...” (1 Chronicles 29:17). Lord, I want to please you!
Give me the strength to be a FATHER among all the other things that I am! And
more than that Lord, Help me to remember what it means to be a DADDY!
As with all things, let’s hold
each other accountable. “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another,”
(Proverbs 27:17). This means
everyone who is reading this.
I love being a
“Daddy” (and soon a “Grand-Daddy”)
Bring it on…so I
can Pass it on!
Pastor Garry
