A Father to Remember
Growing up, there was never a shortage of TV sitcoms that portrayed great fathers in the home. In the 70s, we had everyone from Mike Brady of the Brady Brunch to James Evans, Sr. from Good Times. Later in the 80s, we were introduced to such dads as Dr. Heathcliff “Cliff” Huxtable from The Cosby Show and Danny Tanner of Full House. The 90s presented us with the likes of Ray Campbell from Sister, Sister and Carl Winslow of Family Matters. All of these characters shared a common characteristic of the responsible father who provided for and cherished his family.
The good news is today we have many real-life fathers who have made the same type of positive impact in the lives of their children. They are those who are not only fathers, but are also exceptional dads. I, for one, would like to commend any dad who takes his role of fatherhood seriously. Because as one minister recently stated, “there’s a huge difference between a father and baby daddy.”
The reality for many of us, however, is that we grew up in single-family homes led by women who had to play the roles of both father and mother. How then should we view Father’s Day? Should we simply ignore it because it bears no real significance in our life? Personally, I would be the first to say, “no.” Why not, you might ask? Truth is, each of us could name men who deserve to be honored on this special day. Moreover, Beloved, let’s not forget the one Father who should be revered above all others, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
He should be honored above all others because…
When there are those who try to belittle or degrade us, He is the Father who declares that we “… are fearfully and wonderfully made,” Psalm 139:14b NIV.
When self-righteous folks try to drag up the shame of our past sins, 2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV tell us, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
When we feel scorned, rejected, unfairly accused and/or are maliciously talked about, Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV encourages us to, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Therefore, no matter what our experience is, or was with our biological father, Beloved. Rest assure you have a Heavenly Father higher than any TV character or mortal man. He is not only faithful, but is also the One and True Living God. “For this God is our God for ever and ever; He will be our guide even to the end,” Psalm 48:14 NIV. So my sweet sister, we have a Father that should be remembered everyday, not just on Father’s Day. For He, and only He, is a Father above all men, and the God greater than all gods.
