“Just as a father loves his children… [So] Honor (respect, obey,
care for) your father…” Psalm 103:13; Exodus 20:12 AMP.
As I was reflecting on the
celebration of the Father’s Day for this year, I came across this quote
attributed to the late revered world evangelist, Billy Graham: “A good father
is one of the most unsung, un-praised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most
valuable assets in our society.”
This quote is an undisputable fact! Mothers are so cherished in
every society. Many poems, songs, captions, and the likes have been composed
and dedicated for mothers. Mothers are celebrated worldwide twice every year
(in March in some parts of the world and in May in other parts of the world).
There is even another day tagged “International Women’s Day” in
March to “celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievement of
women.” Women in general and mothers in particular deserve these celebrations
and accolades because of who they are and what they are doing to/for their
children.
However, as Billy Graham rightly said, fathers are hardly
recognized and given deserved honour in spite of the fact that they are one of
the most valuable assets a child could ever have in life.
Fathers are to be cherished
because the Holy Bible presents God as our heavenly Father or “Our Father who
is in heaven.” In fact, the central image of God is that of a Father (see Psalm
103:13; Hebrews 12:5-9; James 1:17).
This is not about God the Father anyway. Being written in a
patriarchal setting, the Holy Bible is full of many fathers that took special
roles (both positive and negative) in the lives of their
children. Amongst the worst fathers in the Bible were Eli, the
permissive father (1 Samuel 2:22-25, 29; 3:13); Samuel, an equal failure as Eli
(1 Samuel 8:1-6); David, though a man after God’s own heart, was an absentee
father who did not know what was happening to his children (see 2 Samuel
13-15); Ahaz worshipped idols and sacrificed his children to demons (see 2
Kings 16:2–4); Manassah who also sacrificed his children to demons (2 Kings
21:1-9; Psalm 106:35-41) and many others.
Amongst the best fathers in the Bible were Abraham, the father
of faith who settled his family members before his death (see Genesis 25:5-6);
Job who was involved with his children socially and prayed for them spiritually
(see Job 1:4–5); Jonadab son of Rechab who was a respected father whose
children obeyed him (2 Kings 10:15-16; Jeremiah 35); Joseph, the foster father
of Jesus Christ, though one of the most underrated fathers in the Bible, but
went to great pains to protect his wife, Mary, the baby Jesus (see Matthew
2:19-23) and other children like James, Joses, Judas (or Jude) and Simon (see
Mark 6:3) and gave them education and needs as they were growing up; the father
of the demon-possessed boy who brought the boy to the disciples of Jesus Christ
to be healed (see Mark 9:14-27); the loving father in the Parable of the
Prodigal Son who in spite of the behaviours of his two sons still demonstrated
his fatherly love to them (see Luke 15:11-32); Philip who raised four daughters
that became prophetesses (see Acts 21:8-9) and many others.
My earthly father is
getting old, but I still cherish what he had imbibed in me when I was growing
up. The instructions then were like bitter pills to swallow for me, but today,
I am being grateful for him and the fatherly roles he had played in my life. I
wish that my children will have many positive things to learn from me as I
continue to raise them up.
Look back on the roles that
your father has played in your life. Are they positive or negative? Are you a
father? What roles are you playing in the lives of your children now? However,
no matter the roles your father has played in your life, do you cherish him?
Are you celebrating your father as you celebrate your mother?
Fathers are to be cherished
too! Happy Father’s Day!
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