As we celebrate Father’s Day this month, let’s remember that we have a Father in heaven who is worthy of our praise. We also are commanded by God to honor your mother and father. This was so we will live long on the earth. Fathers are human and will sometimes fail so even if you have an absent dad, thank him for helping to bring you into this world. Thank him for what he has taught you (even if it is teaching you what “not” to do). This is because forgiving is the best gift we can give ourselves and give others.
To the fathers that are not yet fathers but long to be a father, Psalm 16:6 tells us “the lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a goodly heritage. ”This would be a great prayer to have a goodly heritage. The Lord knows the desires of your heart and helped to place that desire in your heart to come to pass. Utilize this time to read the Bible to learn what God says about parenting and be under mentorship of a father. God will teach you all you need to know about childrearing.
To fathers that never had a father to learn from or may also be considered fatherless. Psalm 68:5 states God is a father to the fatherless. He never leaves. He never disappoints. He never forsakes you. As a born-again believer, you have the power to break generational curses and start a new lineage of great dads. My daughter didn’t have a father growing up and I found it to be a unique opportunity to let God fill that part of her life. In times where she may have needed or wanted a dad, I would go to prayer with her. God did many miracles in her life to show her He was her Father. Look at what you have and not what you lack. God will fill and bind up your wounds (Psalm 147:3).
To the great fathers, keep going. Don’t think your children ever stop needing you. As adults, they need you even more. I encourage you to stay a father and not transition to the “friend zone”. For adult children; ask, “Can I share my opinion?” This shows respect for them as an adult and puts the responsibility on them. Ephesians 6:4: Fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath; instead, bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Fathers provide the bumper rails to life which includes, at times, discipline. There was a study to show children actually take comfort in discipline to know their limits and feel safe.
Being a good father is not easy but it is possible with God. Mark 9:23 states, “Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Happy Father’s Day,
Pastor Dr. Deb Walsh
