Who's Your Daddy?

For sometimes when I am tempted I don’t know what to do.

So walk a little plainer daddy, for I must follow you.

Someday when I am grown up, you are like I want to be.

Then I will have a little boy, who will want to follow me and I would want to lead him right and help him to be true.

So walk a little plainer daddy for we are following you.

SOMETIMES I WOULD READ THAT AND IT WOULD BRING TEARS TO MY EYES, BECAUSE OF THE AWSOME RESPONSIBILITY THAT GOD HAD GIVEN ME.

MEN GOD HAS PLACED AN AWSOME RESPONSIBILITY ON YOU.

IT DOESN’T MATTER WHETHER YOU ARE A FATHER OR NOT, THERE IS SOMEONE LOOKING AT YOUR WALK.

I WOULD PRAY THAT MY MISTAKES AND SHORTCOMINGS WOULD NOT CAUSE MY CHILDREN TO FALL.

THE LORD HAS GIVEN MAN, GREAT RESPONSIBILITY SINCE HE PLACED ADAM IN THE GARDEN

The bible has many stories of great fathers and none more powerful than that of the father of the prodigal son.

We know the story all to well of how the son got his money and wasted it on riotous living. We know about the son’s return and how the father greeted him.

But there is an untold story about the suffering and pain that father went through while that son was gone.

The story of how each days wait turned his hair gray.

We cannot even imagine the pain he must have felt each time news came of how his son was living.

But that father had planted a seed inside of that boy and no one could see it but the Lord.

That’s why when he hit rock bottom, he headed back home.

The song writer said, take me back to the place where I first believed.

Proverbs 4:1-2

1 Hear, my children, the instruction of a father, and give attention to know understanding;

2 For I give you good doctrine: do not forsake my law.

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, grew up and Jesus called them away from their father and his life’s work. Mark says they immediately dropped their nets and followed Him. But I guarantee you that the lives of James and John were shaped by the life of Zebedee.

Not everyone has a loving father. Was Zebedee a loving father? I don’t know. I sort of believe he was. But no father is perfect. Zebedee was just a man, with all of the limitations that go along with being a human.

We that have children, have the opportunity to shape them for the good or for bad. What ever we do it will leave a lasting impression.

Let me illustrate.

A number of years ago a seminary professor and his wife where vacationing in Gatlinburg, TN where they where eating breakfast, hoping to enjoy a quite family meal.

While they where waiting for their meal, they noticed a distinguished looking white haired man moving from table to table talking to people. The professor said to his wife:

I hope he doesn’t come over here, but sure enough he did come over to their table.

Where you folks from he asked, in a friendly voice.

Oklahoma, they answered.

Great to have you here in Tennessee, what do you do for a living.

The professor said, I teach seminary.

You teach preacher how to preach. Well I’ve got a great story for you and with that he pulled up a chair.

He said see that mountain over there, pointing out the window. Not far from the base of that mountain there was a boy born to an unwed mother. He had a hard time growing up because every place he went he was asked the same question.