Father's Day

The Bible still teaches us to "Honor thy Father and Mother..." In my opinion that requirement of God either goes unnoticed or either it is rejected by many people in our present society. I understand that  the media does a great job when it comes to informing us of the failure of parents and their parental duties/responsibilities. I have no qualms with that scenario but I also need to remind all of us that the failure of some people does not distract from the faithful service of a large number of parents (birth, foster as well as adoptive) who do a superb job serving their families in a very honorable way day after day. Many of these parents serve under challenging circumstances (illness, multiple jobs, long hours, etc.) yet they serve their family in a manner that reflects the love of God and the principles of God. Now, there is certainly no such thing as a "perfect" parent but there are wonderful men and women who do their best to reflect the Biblical plan of parenting to their children. I give a tip of my hat to those individuals today as well as a THANK YOU for your willingness to put your family as the highest priority next to your relationship with Jesus Christ.

 

A few weeks ago we took the opportunity to recognize and honor our Mothers. This is a weekend in which we take some time to remember and recognize our earthly Fathers and their contributions to our successful life journey. I am blessed that my Dad is still serving His family. His role has changed since he has grown older and since his children have grown older yet his role still makes a powerful contribution day after day. Him and my Mother serve as confidants, encouragers, intercessors, and examples to their immediate family (children and their companions) as well as their extended family (grandchildren and great-grandchildren). They also serve in the greater community of believers and society as servants and encouragers through their daily activities. It goes without saying that their parental responsibilities have changed over the years yet their responsibility to God and their connection with God has not changed. Thank you Mom and Dad for showing your family how to love your children and how to love God.

 

I appreciate the earthly Fathers of our world. There are times that their place in the family is somewhat overlooked or downplayed. But notice some of the problems that our society is facing because of the absence of Fathers in the home. Today I want to recognize those men who do not make the headlines of the media but they still place a smile on the faces of their wife, their children and  their grandchildren. We owe you a debt of gratitude for your faithful and dedicated service to your family. We also take a moment to remember those earthly Fathers who have passed on to their eternal reward. You are gone but not forgotten. We also take a moment to remember those "spiritual Fathers" who have made a difference in our lives. They helped lead us into a deeper knowledge of God and a stronger relationship with Him.