Skip to main content

Father's Day!

The term mentor has been rattling around in my head. We all need someone in our lives who is willing to lovingly lead us. We all need someone who has been there and willing to invest in us.  We need that person who is interested in taking us on a journey of experience and breathing life into us through these experiences. 

Paul understood the importance of mentors in our lives and discipleship journeys. He invested significant time and energy in those he mentored. In 1 Timothy, Paul shows us the personal and intimate nature of the relationships with those he mentors. He refers  to Timothy as "my true son in the faith." He views this relationship like a father would have with a child. 

Father's want the best for their kids. It is a father's responsibility to lead his family. It is his responsibility to show them how a husband loves his wife. A father wants to share his knowledge with his kids so they benefit from his wisdom. Father's play a pivotal role in their children's lives and development. 

As we head into Father's Day, I first want to thank all the Dads who choose to be present and purposeful in their kids lives.  Those relationships they have with their kids are the same relationships Paul had in mind when he called Timothy his son. Secondly, I challenge Christian men to accept the responsibility of leading our homes and raising our children. Our world needs us to be present and to speak life into our children. Finally, I want to speak to those men who don't have children. Our world desperately needs you. We need good Christian men who are willing to show a father's love to children who don't have a father. I'm asking you to be a father to the fatherless. 

James 1:27 says " Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." Too many children have been orphaned by absent fathers. As Christian men, we must be a part of the solution. If you aren't a father, or even if you are, I encourage you to step up and step in. Find a place to be a father figure. It may simply be in your home and with your own kids. It may be by volunteering to be a youth sports coach or becoming a foster parent. Maybe it's by choosing to mentor your kid's friend who has an absent father. Or maybe it is a call to reach out to His Father's House who meet at Westside Christian Church on Friday would love to talk to you. Wherever it is, men step up and be Fathers. 

Happy Father's Day! 

Be blessed and be a blessing,

Matt





Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Right In Front of Me

There is one character in the story of the night of Jesus' arrest that sticks out. He seems insignificant to what is happening. He’s almost an interruption in the story. He is only mentioned by name in one of the four gospels, even though the description of what occurred is in all four gospels.  Malchus is his name. He works for the people who want Jesus dead. His job, with his compadres, is to seize Jesus and bring him back to the high priest. There he would be subject to questioning, a trial of sorts.  As Malchus and his posse are approaching, Peter takes action to protect Jesus. “With that, one of Jesus' companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear” (Matthew 26:51). Jesus immediately tells Peter and the rest of his disciples to stop with the violence.  I wonder what Malchus thought at this point. I imagine his was in shock, I would guess he was surprised. He had just been attacked and surely is bleeding ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Glow Differently

I saw this quote recently, “You glow differently when your confidence is fueled by belief in yourself instead of validation from others.” I found myself wrestling with it. I completely agree with the concept that the validation of my worth is not established by the thoughts of others. While I think a positive self image is important, I do not think that it is what really makes me “glow differently.” I hope I glow differently because of whom I believe in, rather than what I believe of myself.  The author of Titus says, “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:4-7) . Love and kindness entered the world in the form of a m...
Post a Comment
Read more

Grits

This past Saturday I got the chance to catch up with my friend at breakfast. We connected months ago over grits, of all things. I learned he really didn't care for grits. Turns out his parents used to make him eat them quite often and in many forms. As he has grown older he's made the conscious decision, he's had enough grits for a lifetime. On the other hand, I really enjoy grits. They are a wonderful breakfast food with butter, salt, and pepper. For dinner, you can't beat some good shrimp and grits. I have a recipe for jambalaya grits that will put a smile on anyone's face. It is like jambalaya meets cheese grits. Yum! My friend and I joke about grits everytime we see each other. I offer him some and he politely refuses. Of course, I respect his wishes and don't give him any grits. How do you offer someone grits? Do you insist they eat and like them because you eat them? Do you put them on their plate anyway? Do you treat them differently bec...
Post a Comment
Read more