The Good Father

FATHER, what’s in a word? Well, this is a very important word packed with qualities such as:

• Faithful,

• Admired,

• Tough,

• Helpful,

• Enthusiastic,

• And, Responsible.

These are just a few of the qualities that fathers should have, or strive to have. Let’s just call these qualities our first components for the acronym or word FATHER. AMEN

Now, we might kinda focus on the admired quality, but we shouldn’t get the meaning twisted, and think that we always have to be admired. Sometimes we have to “as God says” be the sheep.

Fathers have to be faithful and responsible. But before a father can be responsible for someone else, he must understand being responsible for himself. In other words, he must be mature. Not necessary mature dealing with “age”, but mature in the sense of wisdom and willingness to accept the fact that he might not know everything. AMEN

All around the world there are men that hold the title of father and are admired for what they do. However, are there really enough fathers in the picture and is just being admired what’s really needed. Jesus himself has never had a shortage of admirers in this world. People all around the world admire Jesus.

But did you know, you can read every verse in the bible, but you will not come across a single verse in which Jesus comes even close to saying,” Come admire me”, or “unless you admire me, you cannot be my disciple.”

Matthew 19:17 states: And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

Brothers and sisters, the word Father, encompasses the need to teach, to inspire, to love, and to bring the child up as a follower of Christ. AMEN

Right about now, you’re saying that my father was a little bit different. He might not have got everything right. He might not have met all those other qualities in the first acronym.

Well, I figure fathers are more alike than you imagine. Along with the first components of the “FATHER” acronym I mentioned earlier, there’s another. This one includes the words:

• Funny,

• Awkward,

• Thoughtful,

• Huggable,

• Encouraging,

• And, Real. AMEN

Just so you know, we may not be perfect, and yes we may be a little different, and for sure we might get a few things wrong, but through the eyes of our children we can be the best father ever. AMEN

My message today is ………… The Good Father.

As many of you know, today is Father’s Day. It's a day of appreciation for making your children finish something they said they couldn't do. Not believing them when they said, 'I hate you,' & sharing their good times & their bad times. It’s your day! It’s my day!

You waited all year for this day, so sit back and enjoy, because if you are a good father, or strive to be, you are special! AMEN

"Father’s Day is just like Mother’s Day, only they don’t spend as much on your gift." But I don’t believe the gift is all that it’s made out to be.

Sometimes the best gift is a silent one. Just knowing that your kids are growing into or has grown into a follower of Christ is the most powerful gift of all. That small notion can lift a father’s spirit any day of the year. AMEN

As a father, you have a role, and that role is to teach the child. Sometimes that lesson is hard, and the child doesn’t understand, but believe me, “farther along, they’ll understand why!

They may complain and mumble words like “you don’t know me” or “you don’t respect me”, or “you just don’t understand”. But the longer we live our lives as followers of Christ, the more chance we’ll have that our children will follow him also. After all a father that followers Christ is a “good father” indeed. AMEN

Proverbs 1:8 states: My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

Fathers and Dads, Pops, and Daddy, Guys and Fellas, whatever you call yourself, we all should focus on teaching, and showing our children the way. One of those things you teach and show, is respect.

If you read all the books on child rearing, the thing to remember is that in our rearing we should never humiliate or disrespect our children. Because if we do this, we just might be teaching them to do the same to others. AMEN

Kids and young adults, brothers and young men, likewise, you shouldn’t disrespect each other, or your parents, or other adults. God’s image is always worthy of respect. God is worthy of respect.