Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! (Hebrews 12:9)
Respect. From what I’ve heard, the idea of children respecting their parents is passé. There are some who think the idea of even believing in any god is equally old. No, the current thing is to teach children that they are gods, or at least Disney princesses, which is about as cool. No, they don’t need to respect their fathers. They just need to feel good about themselves.
Today is Father’s Day. Today, for at least a few hours, we’re supposed to tug out our smiles, pat our papas on the head and tell them what good little daddies they are. Then we get to go back to our real lives, watching beloved sitcoms that teach us to respect no one. Part of that may be because the X-er parents are trying to give the “love” they didn’t feel growing up, and part of it because they are determined that their child will not feel as reviled as they felt.
One of the things I hate about _______s’ Days, no matter who the honored victim, is that it’s a lie. As long as it’s only one day, it’s a lie. And we seem to live a lot of relational lies. We go to church on Sunday, but Monday through Saturday, does God have a real place in our lives. We have father’s day, and mother’s day, and grandparents day, and this day and that day. They get started in hopes of selling cards and assuaging feelings.
How much different would life be for us if we actually took some time to show some respect on a daily basis? What if we valued the people in our lives for more than a few hours on one day a year? And what if we respected God more?
I know, there are some people who would say, “You don’t know my dad.” You’re right. But we can respect the idea even if our particular examples weren’t what they should have been, and in God, we can find the father we can respect if we look.
Today is Father’s Day. Today, for at least a few hours, we’re supposed to tug out our smiles, pat our papas on the head and tell them what good little daddies they are. Then we get to go back to our real lives, watching beloved sitcoms that teach us to respect no one. Part of that may be because the X-er parents are trying to give the “love” they didn’t feel growing up, and part of it because they are determined that their child will not feel as reviled as they felt.
One of the things I hate about _______s’ Days, no matter who the honored victim, is that it’s a lie. As long as it’s only one day, it’s a lie. And we seem to live a lot of relational lies. We go to church on Sunday, but Monday through Saturday, does God have a real place in our lives. We have father’s day, and mother’s day, and grandparents day, and this day and that day. They get started in hopes of selling cards and assuaging feelings.
How much different would life be for us if we actually took some time to show some respect on a daily basis? What if we valued the people in our lives for more than a few hours on one day a year? And what if we respected God more?
I know, there are some people who would say, “You don’t know my dad.” You’re right. But we can respect the idea even if our particular examples weren’t what they should have been, and in God, we can find the father we can respect if we look.
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