Fathers and Sons

Good Day to each of you reading this column on Fathers and Sons and its effect on our society.

Where would you be without your father? Are you molded after your father? If there was one word that would sum up your father, what would that word be?

Does a holiday conjure up the meaning of Father’s day? We have holidays for holidays and, as each year passes, millions of cards are sold, telephone calls taken, and the holiday to many, falls into the hands of those merchants making the money off those holidays.

No, not for all, but many, this mere 24 hours passes so quickly and the holiday passes as a mere memory of what was for time is a fleeting. OH, but if we could only bottle those days and that time, just wishin and hopin as the song says.

To you, the father, I salute you and place you under the category of my hero—why, because you are, and you always be. You taught me that your word is your bond and that the only thing you carry is your name, so don’t disrespect it.

So many sayings that I thought were silly or so out of date and yet, today I repeat the same sayings to my children and live by the principles that I was raised in not so long ago.

You see God created Man and Woman or Mom and Dad first—He is the author of giving the Mom and Dad various talents and when those talents are put together, then their marriage works in harmony. God intended for marriage to be work, but this work was to be in perfect cohesion to be receiving his blessings and not the curses.

Folks, this was to be carried down through the ages, but we have an adversary who just loves to destroy God as well as us and he and his army will do everything in their power to destroy the family.

Take heed and look at Job, where God gave Satan to Job and in the end, both God and Job came out on top even though Satan did almost everything he could to destroy Job, his family, his life and his faith.

Many Father’s today are placed under serious pressure by making a living, working overtime, traveling to places far from home, barely making ends meet, and dealing with the balance of a marriage and children.

In a previous article that I wrote for Thy Kingdom Come, named Time, was about a young boy who wanted to buy time from his father to spend. You are correct, an hour of the Father’s time in monetary dollars bought from his son for attention.

Father’s think of this for you never know when will be your last breath, so was your time spent well? You see time is like money and once it is spent, it is gone, just memories.

So why were Father’s placed on this earth? Ask yourself as a father as you look into the mirror? To some, fathers are just sperm donors in today’s society, but is that the way our Heavenly Father meant as a father?

Turn to the Book of Proverbs for some enlightenment

Proverbs 17:6 (NIV) Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.

Proverbs 19:14 (NIV) Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the Lord.

Proverbs 22:6 (NIV) Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not turn from it.

Ephesians 6:4 (NIV) Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Proverbs 6:20 (NIV) My son, keep your father’s commands and do not forsake your mother’s teachings.

Proverbs 13:1 (NIV) A wise son heeds his father’s instruction, but a mocker does not listen to rebuke.

Proverbs 15:5 (NIV) A fool spurns his father’s discipline, but whoever heeds correction shows prudence.

The Book of Proverbs is wonderfully written by Solomon with the key word of wisdom as a major topic—So much that wisdom is found 54 times.

Fathers, like my father, were there when the going got tough, when parenting meant a spanking from love and not a beating from pressures of the day, a smile and a cheerful word when life dealt a blow, throwing the ball around after coming in late from work, going fishing when the lawn needed to be mowed, getting in the car when I had no idea of how to drive a stick shift, tying a tie for church, and playing some silly game and acting like me, a kid.

So if I were to sum up my father in one word—Wisdom—He has been there and done that and if I would have listened to many of his words, then many of those potholes in the road would have been avoided.

You see when many of young men are out and about, we like to “show off” or “run our mouths” but the wise man stores up knowledge and the mouth of a fool invites ruin.

Take my advice, the tongue of the righteous is choice silver—Each day is Father’s day to me, for if there was one thing that I ask for from my Heavenly Father daily it is – How much better to get wisdom than gold, to choose understanding rather than silver.

As I close and give my eternal thanks for both my Heavenly Father and Earthly father and family, I am reminded of what Proverbs: 27:1 (NIV) Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.

May God Bless you and May You Bless God in all that you say and do

Jeff