Honoring Father’s Day
In the beginning, was…a Father…THE FATHER CREATOR. God then created man, and he became the first human father. A PERFECT FATHER and an earthly father. The first family out of whom our heavenly Father intended to display His image. This Sunday is a day set aside to honor our fathers. It can be a joyous day celebrating a man who has given so much of himself to us. For others, it brings pain for the father they never knew.
I am overcome once again at the fatherlessness in our world. Throughout our travels and ministry, we have encountered horrific stories of abuse and abandonment. There is no nation on earth immune to the pains of neglect by a parent.
“A father is neither an anchor to hold us back nor a sail to take us there, but a guiding light whose light shows us the way.”
In my husband’s story of his reconciliation with his estranged father, he encountered something that changed his life. He was learning the principle of having a clean heart before God and praying for others.
In his words: With the sun shining, I proceeded to find a quiet place by myself and prayed, “Search my heart, God....if there is anything that is not right, please show me.” And then I waited. It was a prayer and commitment I was going to do whatever it took to make anything right before God. It was a very scary prayer, but I was sincere. I did not know what God would bring up from my recent, wild past, of which I had a pretty good idea I would need to repent and make any required restitution.
Nevertheless, I silently waited before God. All of a sudden what came to my mind were the words 'my father.' In shock, my first response was “What about my father?" Slowly, the answer came. This patient and gentle, loving God in heaven brought to my mind the bitterness, unforgiveness, and yes, hatred in my heart towards my dad.
A wave of anger and a pounding in my chest nearly overtook me, and I reacted, "Wait, look what he did. I have a right to feel this way. He was a preacher; he has an affair, and then he up and abandons our family." As I continued to lay my excuses and righteous anger before God, I remembered something I heard recently from a wise man of God. He talked about loving our neighbors, even going so far as to love our enemies. And then, he hit closer to home and talked about honoring our mother and father. I remember him stopping in the middle of his message and saying, “You know, there is no condition to that. God does not say if they are worthy of honor— honor them. He says simply— honor your mother and father—even if she is the town prostitute or he the town drunk. He commands us to honor our father and mother in Exodus 20:12. We don’t participate or agree with how they live their lives, but He does emphatically tell us to honor them.”
Jim, years ago, with his youngest son, Jamie
Wow! Honor when they don’t deserve it? What would or could change our lives if we took a brave step and honored in the really hard stuff? It may also involve a big step of forgiveness, which I do not pretend is easy by any means. I do know, however, that if you do the hard God-stuff, He will give you the grace and, in time, bring good out of it.
This coming weekend many will celebrate their dads. Some have excellent reasons to honor those men in their lives who have been wonderful fathers and husbands. Shower appreciation on them and give the praise they deserve. In a world where it is increasingly tougher to be a good father, encourage them in a job-well-done. They need to hear it.
“My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person; he believed in me.”
Can I leave you with a few ‘steps of the heart’ as you go into this holiday?
If you have a father still living, honor him, even if it is just sending a card to celebrate him. He may need to know he is thought of on this day. If you have a good relationship with your father…shower that dad with love!
If your father is no longer living…honor a man in your life who is a father figure to you. Make their day! Or…honor your sons if they are fathers.
If you are a father and your children honor and appreciate you…bless them back and pray a blessing over them! Love on them as only a father can!
If you are not a biological father (yet), you can still father others. Like I said earlier, there is a lack of loving fathers around the world. All men can reach out and be a father to someone. And that someone may be just waiting for a dad to care and believe in them.
Lastly, PRAY, as a father for our broken world which desperately NEEDS good, God-honoring healthy fathers to believe in and care for the next generation.
HAPPY FATHER’S DAY !!