We Salute All Fathers Striving to Be Godly Men

HAPPY FATHERS DAY!

Fathers Day, take a minute to think about what that holiday conjures up in your mind.

For me, growing up without a Father, this is one holiday that didn’t mean much.  My Grandpa was our father figure; a Godly man, full of humor, wisdom, gentleness, good counsel, and yet he had an iron hand and a steel will that few men possess.  He used all of those traits in service to the Lord as an evangelist, pastor, and church planter.  

As Godly and influential as Grandpa was, he didn’t live in our home with us.  He was a fantastic outside influence, but outside none-the-less.  Even as a child you know the difference.  We spent quite a bit of time at Grandpa and Granny’s house, even lived with them a couple of times, but it was always Grandpa and Granny’s house.  As welcome as we were, and as much as we stayed there, it was never “home”.  Home was where my sister and I lived with our Mom.  

There were step dads along the way, one even told us we were being adopted and changed our name.  It took a while but I came to call this man Dad, and then he left.  We discovered that he really wasn’t adopting me and my sister, but we were using his name falsely.  It wasn’t legal, just a promise without meaning.

As great an influence as my Grandpa was on my life (I didn’t even know how much at the time), he passed away while I was a very rebellious young man running from the God Grandpa taught me so much about, and that was that. Father’s Day was a day to remember my Grandpa, but not much else.  I made it OK without a Dad, didn’t have one, didn’t need one, don’t try to be one!

In today’s society Fathers are portrayed in some pretty unflattering ways:

• Bumbling idiots who couldn’t tie their shoes without help.
• Misguided morons who are fortunately controlled by their wives.
• Overbearing manipulators who are to be ignored.
• Beat down, walked on, taken advantage of workmen who’ve lost the ability to care.

Fathers/Husbands are not cast in a very good light!

Now for a dose of reality:

• In the US, there are 13.6M single parent households raising over 21M children. 84%, or 11.4M, are single mother households.
• 5x more likely to live under the poverty level.
• As of 2014, 40% of US babies were born by unwed mothers. 
• Fathers are absent.  That’s not entertainment, that’s the reality.
• Our educational and legal systems are not helping matters either.
• 12 states now have a third gender option on state ID’s
• In 2011 the State Department removed the words Father and Mother from the US passport applications.  

This statement was given for the changes:

“These improvements are being made to provide a gender neutral description of a child’s parents and in recognition of different types of families.”

Words such as “Toxic Masculinity” are thrown around, usually associated with atrocious actions committed by men. University study programs are built around them, media hype, misguided social media, and misguided people jump on them, form trends, government gets involved, and next thing you know it’s “unfashionable” to be a man, and hence a Father.

It’s all a smokescreen!

Let us be clear, sin is the root of the problem, not masculinity!  Sinful deeds done by men are sin!  Sinful deeds done by women are sin!

The Bible says:

Gen 1:26-28  Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”  So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.  Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 

God didn’t add a box for future reference.  There’s no place holder in case He forgot something.

Male and Female He created them.

The very fabric and essence of what it is to be a man is being erased.  The roles of Husband, Father, Provider, even Defender are being attacked and dismantled.

The word Father is used 1135 times in the Bible. 

Mal_2:10  Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously with one another By profaning the covenant of the fathers? 

Isa_63:16  Doubtless You are our Father, Though Abraham was ignorant of us, And Israel does not acknowledge us. You, O LORD, are our Father; Our Redeemer from Everlasting is Your name. 

Luk_11:2  So He said to them, “When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. 

Some would say this is a horrible time to be a man, husband, or father. 

I would disagree! 

Jesus said; 

Mat 5:14-16  “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. 

Just being a Godly husband and father in this day and age shines a light and a beacon to a world in darkness!

Eph 6:1-4  Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  “HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER,” which is the first commandment with promise:  “THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH YOU AND YOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH.”  And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. 

God the Father has chosen that we should address Him as Father.  Remember, that’s His choice!

Gal 4:4-7  But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.  And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”  Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. 

John 20:17  Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’ ” 

God designed the family to be a picture of the Godhead.  

Attributes:

Gen_15:1  After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” 

Isa_52:12  For you shall not go out with haste, Nor go by flight; For the LORD will go before you, And the God of Israel will be your rear guard. 

Exo_15:3  The LORD is a man of war; The LORD is His name.

Numbers 21:14 references the “Book of the Wars of the LORD”, just in case we didn’t get the point!

God is our Father, protector, defender, provider, compassionate encourager, our deliverer, our savior, and our friend.

He is the lover of our soul, whose thoughts are more for us than the sand of the sea shore or the stars in the sky, the one who loved us while we were yet His enemies, gave himself for our sins, and ensured our salvation.

We are to demonstrate all of God’s attributes to, and in, our families and to the world.

The role of Godly Fathers hasn’t changed since the beginning.  What God meant then, He means now!  Our role as Fathers is a very serious one with great responsibility!

We care for our families as those have been committed to our care as gifts from the Lord!

Society would tell us to check out and let those better suited to the job take over.

According to the Bible, there IS no checking out!  There is NO ONE more suited to be the father of your children than you, provided you understand that you are stewards of children that God loves and cares for!

We salute Fathers doing their best to be Godly men in today’s world.  Keep up the good work!

 If you’ve checked out, get back in the game!

Blessing…