Courageous Fathers

   Father's day: the day where dad's get mugs that say "# 1 dad," tools, or other gifts that are considered manly. We all have a father. Unfortunately some people don't think of Father's day as a good holiday. Rather, it is a reminder that their father failed. Some children have never met their biological father, never had a father, or their father hurt them in some way.
   It is very difficult for fathers in this world. They are expected to be the head of the house, be a rock to the family, and are to be an example. They have to live up to some pretty high standards considering we all have another father: our Heavenly Father. God is the best father we could ever have. But, it is also important for us to have strong examples of fathers on earth. What can we do when our earthly father is not there for us or not a good example?
   The answer is we cannot do much. It is going to take godly men like Adam Mitchell, a police officer from the movie Courageous, to step up. In the beginning of the movie Adam was not the best example of a godly father. But, as the movie went on, Adam began to change and try to be more like God. He even encouraged others to change their ways and become examples to their children. Adam stepped up and helped a friend's child by spending time with the child because the child's birth father was in jail.
   Fathers need to step up and realize that whatever they do is being watched even if they don't realize it. Fathers must be an example to children even if they don't want to be. If we don't have fathers step up, then our world is in for a rude awakening.
   So, will you choose to be an example to children? Will you step up and help children who may not have godly fathers?

   Romans 12:2, Matthew 5:16, Proverbs 20:7

   Image from here. 

Seeing Eye to Eye

    Sometimes it is difficult to see from another person's perspective. In one movie in particular this is very evident: A Goofy Movie. In this movie Goofy is father to a son named Max. Max is a typical teenager trying to fit in at school and impress girls. He performs an unauthorized Pop concert at school, based off the popular artist Powerline. The concert impresses everyone at school including the girl he likes. But, it got him in trouble with the principal who calls his dad.

   Goofy, desperate to save his son from becoming a criminal, decides to take his son on a wild vacation to bond with him. Max had just gotten a date with the girl he likes but had to cancel. Instead of telling her the truth he decides to tell her he was going to the Powerline concert to sing onstage. From there it is a crazy trip where Goofy is trying to accomplish one thing and Max is trying to accomplish something else.

This father and son don't see eye to eye. They don't work as a team. Many times it is that way with our families. Parents seem to have one goal but the kids seem to have another.

   That's kind of what Jesus was talking about when he told the parable of the prodigal son. In Luke 15:11-32 we find this story of a son who wants what he wants and doesn't seem to think about what his father wants. The son goes out and squanders all his father gave him. Then, after hitting rock bottom, he goes home to ask his father for a job. When his father sees him coming he runs to his son and welcomes him back into the family.

   We all have parents or parent figures and we don't always see eye to eye. But, most of the time, our parents have our best interest at heart. And, even if they don't, we do have a heavenly father who does. He knows we will fall away because we are sinful beings. But, when we come back to him he welcomes us with open arms.

   As our heavenly father God has a plan for each of us. However, we don't always see eye to eye with God's plan for us. He knows that we may reject his plan for us, just as Jonah did, but he is ready when we do come back to follow his plan for us. He wants us to see eye to eye. Yet, he is patient with us if we fall away. That's why the parable of the prodigal son isn't necessarily about the son. It is about the father who represents our heavenly father. It is a reminder that God loves us no matter what. I hope you take solace in that this father's day.

   So, do you see eye to eye with your heavenly father? Do you know how much God loves you? What is God's plan for your life?

   Image from here.

The Good Samaritan Law

   One day I was at a first aid class, because I am a teacher I have to take them, and the instructor asked, "what is the Good Samaritan Law?" I had just raised my hand to answer when the instructor called on someone else. She said that the law protects you if you walk by someone who is hurt. The instructor said, "no, actually it protects you from the person you help from taking legal action against you, if you try to help the him/her."
   My first thought was it somewhat made sense that she thought that was what the law said. I mean, in the story of the Good Samaritan the Priest and the Levite both passed by the man. But, the whole point of the story is that we are not to be like them. We are to be like the Good Samaritan. If we were to be like the Priest or the Levite it would be called the "Holier than thou Law" (JK somewhat).
   Next I thought about how this proves that people have their priorities way out of line nowadays. People would rather walk away from those in need than get involved. Why is that? We don't want to get messy, or take time out from our busy schedules. We, like the Priest, think "this person is not worth my time." What if you were the person in need? Would you want someone to take time then? Yes, you would.
   Matthew 7:12 says, "So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." We have laws in our country we are to follow but we also follow the Bible. The Greatest commandment in the Bible boils down to love God and the second boils down to love others. If we love God and love others we will do what we can to help them. If you were hurt you would want that person who is late for a meeting to stop and help you, right? Why can't you stop to help that person in need?
   So, the next time you see someone in need will you be like the Priest or like the Good Samaritan? What can you do to help someone today?

   James 2:8 and Leviticus 19:18

   Image from here. 

What Would You Sacrifice? A Father's Day Blog

   It's that day when we honor our fathers. There have been many fathers throughout time. One father was asked to do something I'm sure many fathers would have never dreamed of doing: sacrifice his son.
   Abraham had waited years for God to fulfill his promise to him. He was promised land, children, and blessing. Now, God had blessed Abraham and protected him. Abraham did have land but it wasn't all the land he was promised. He finally got a child, Ishmael, but that created problems for his family. Then God gave Sarah and Abraham a child when they were very old. Isaac was born. Abraham loved Isaac. He tried to be a good example to Isaac. Then one day God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac.
   Hold up, wouldn't a loving God want this child alive? Since when did God ask for human sacrifices? This probably seemed crazy to Abraham. Yet, Abraham had seen that God is faithful. Thus, in faith, Abraham took Isaac up the mountain to be sacrificed.
   Now, imagine being Isaac. You are young, trying to follow your father's example, and all of the sudden your father ties you up. Isaac was strong and much younger than his father. He could have easily overpowered his father. But, Isaac chose to trust his father. This shows that Isaac had faith in his father because he knew that Abraham had faith in God.
   In the end, Abraham didn't have to sacrifice Isaac. More than likely those men left the mountain changed forever. They saw the power of faith. They saw that God gives and takes away for a reason. Isaac took that experience and understood that he needed to follow God in faith no matter what.
   That's what I call a fatherly example. What kind of example are you setting for your children? Do you spend time with God? If God calls you to do something do you follow him? Do your children see your faith in action through how you treat them and others? If you answered no to any of these questions I encourage you to think about what you need to change to be a better example. This includes if you don't have children, because children are watching all adults. No, we are not perfect. But, we can try to be a good example for those who will come after us.

   Ephesians 6:4 and Proverbs 22:6

   Image from here.

Faith of a Father

   Imagine you are a father. You have a son whom you love dearly. You work hard to teach your son the ways of God and teach him the ways to make a living. Then, one day, the unthinkable happens. God tells you to sacrifice your son to Him. What are you thinking about at this point?
   More than likely you are thinking what Abraham was thinking, because, this did happen to Abraham. He was called by God to sacrifice his son. God promised Abraham that He would make him a great nation. Yet, God was telling Abraham to kill the way that Abraham thought he would receive the promise.
   If you were in Abraham's situation, what would you do? I am sure you would want to cry out to God and wonder why? You may even think I'm not giving up my son. How can a loving God even ask me to do that? The answer is God was testing Abraham.
   Throughout Abraham's life he chose to do what he thought was right in order to preserve himself. He did not always follow what God wanted him to do. God had to be sure that Abraham finally trusted Him enough to give up everything in order to follow Him.
   Would you have had the faith Abraham had? Will you choose to trust God when tests and trials come?

   Genesis 22, James 1:12, Romans 12:12

   Image from here. 

Father's Day: Going to War

   It’s Father’s Day. It is the day we honor our fathers’. Fathers have a big responsibility. They are to lead their family, be an example for others, and to live up to the ideas of what a father is in their respective cultures.

   The movie War Room is a story about Tony and Elizabeth Jordan. Tony Jordan is a man who is in good shape, has a great job, makes a lot of money, has a big house, a shiny new car, and a daughter. He is a man who seems to have it all together to any outsider. But, Tony is not close with his wife or his daughter. He is on the brink of making some bad life choices because he wants what he wants when he wants it. He thinks that he deserves all the good things in life.

   Meanwhile his wife gets verbally and emotionally abused. She thinks Tony may be seeing another woman. Their daughter, Danielle, lives in a house where her parents fight all the time. Her father seems to not care about her at all.

This is a broken home. We could point fingers at just one person but sometimes it is not just one persons’ fault. Yes, it is the father’s job to be the head of the household. It is the father’s job to be a Godly example. But, in this household no one is leaning on God.

   There are many different households in this world. Each household is run in a different way because everyone is different. That is just how God made us, unique. However, every household can be fixed if the people in the household lean on God. That means spending daily time with God in his word and praying to him.

   Every man, woman, and child needs to trust God in all situations because God does have a plan. Even when it seems hopeless, even when it seems like you can go down any farther, and even when it seems like God has crossed your line of safety remember that he is our hope. He is the one we look up to and he crossed that line just so that we would have faith in him.

   So, are you willing to lean on God through any situation? Will you pray and trust that God has a plan for all of your battles? Men, are you willing to step up and be the Godly example your family needs?

   Proverbs 3:5-6, Titus 2:6-7, Philippians 4:6-7