Father's Day

The responsibility of rearing children in our society today is awesome. Yet, it is the most rewarding experience that anyone will go through. It is an experience that will last a lifetime. There will be some sadness, but the many, many hours of joy and happiness will, to a degree, overshadow the sad times. God has given us the Bible, which is the perfect manual for rearing children. Yet, multitudes of fathers have chosen to ignore these perfect instructions. Through the years I have seen so many faithful, godly mothers, bring more children to worship than she can handle. Why? Because she loved God and wanted her children to learn how to love and serve God also. Another reason they do it is because the children’s father will not assume the responsibility that God has placed on all fathers. There are many excuses used by fathers to justify their action. The number one excuse is, “I just don’t have enough time.” I certainly understand how rushed we all are in our modern day society, but I also know that God commands us to be good stewards of our time. There is a horrible reality that fathers seriously need to think about. Most boys grow up following in the footsteps of their father. Therefore, there is no way to imagine how horrible it will be to see our sons condemned to hell on judgment day, knowing that it was his neglectful father’s fault. Fathers, it will not matter one bit at the end of time if we were wealthy or not in this life. But it will matter how we lived this life!

Isaiah 38:19] “The living, the living – they praise you, as I am doing today; parents tell your children about your faithfulness.” Our Father in heaven has a few things to say about our fathers on earth. God said this of Abraham as he declared Abraham will become the father of nations: “For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him” (Genesis 18:19). “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). “...The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 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 6:4-7). “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it” (Proverbs 22:6). “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). After King Solomon had sought pleasure and happiness in every possible way, he came near to the end of his life. Knowing that his sons had not been trained in the way of the Lord, he wrote: “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). To Solomon it didn’t matter now, that he was the richest man in the world. He knew that he had not fulfilled his duty to God and his family. Fathers, the most precious thing you have in this world, or ever will have, is your family. I beg of you to assume your God given responsibility and lead your family in putting God and His kingdom first in your life, and your family will follow your lead. “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then chose for yourselves this day whom you will serve ...But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24: 15). Happy Father’s Day, y’all.