In America, we celebrate our Dad’s on the third Sunday in June. It is a day we reflect on our childhood and the memories that we cherish of our fathers. I have been very blessed to have had a godly father that is now in Heaven. He worked hard to provide for our needs both physically and spiritually. He taught us from an early age to respect him and what he said was the law for our family. He was a very loving father, incredibly talented in music, and an excellent schoolteacher. He loved kids and went the extra mile with his own time to make sure a student had every opportunity to succeed. He never met a stranger but was careful to shield us from people who could influence us in the wrong way. He loved God with all of his being and in the last months of his life, he longed for Heaven. I am so thankful he was my dad.
My Dad established a godly testimony to be passed down as mentioned in Psalm 78:5-7. Because of his example, I too have a husband who is a great godly dad. I will be eternally grateful for the father he is and has been to our sons. He is a man of impeccable character and integrity. He instilled the same principles of disciple, love, and godly character in our sons. He was a hands-on dad during our boys’ years at home. Because of his example, our sons are great dads, and we are seeing the fruit of that in our 4 grandchildren.
Psalms 78:5-7 makes it clear that teaching to train future generations is the path that God commands for Dads. We are to train our children to be godly children. Maybe you didn’t have a father that was godly, maybe you feel you have failed your own children, but rest assured you have a heavenly Father that far exceeds anyone on this earth. He is our pattern of love, forgiveness, grace, mercy, and discipline to live by.
Psalm 78:5-7 “For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:”
I am thankful that the fathers I mentioned follow the scriptural mandates of teaching their children.
Deuteronomy 6:7 “And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sit in thine house, and when thou walk by the way, and when thou lie down, and when thou rise up.”
They each disciplined their children as needed to break the stubborn will, but not the spirit of the child. I am well aware of the disciple the first father mentioned gave to his children. It was mostly to me! A proper disciple is an example of how God shows His love to us, and likewise, parents show love this way too. Most parents are too consumed with other things to disciple until change happens. It takes hard work and a lot of love to stay the course, but it is what is best in the long haul for the child.
Proverbs 3:11-12 “My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the LORD loves he corrects; even as a father the son in whom he delights.”
Proverbs 13:24 “Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.”
A godly father takes time to train his child. This is done persistently using biblical principles. It is not a sprint to be run when training a child, it is a marathon that must be completed if you intend to train for godly results.
Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
A godly father does not make demands of his children that cannot be easily achieved. The child’s obedience needs to be seen by them as reasonable and attainable. A father should love his children in such a way that they desire to obey him out of love.
Ephesians 6:4 “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”
A godly father must first exhibit his love for Christ by being obedient to all that he knows God wants him to do. He must be faithful to pray and study the word. It should not be a surprise to the child to find his father reading the bible or on his knees praying. He must be faithful to all worship services at a fundamental bible believing church. As the old saying goes “if the doors are open, we are there.”
Hebrews 10:25 “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”
A godly father will also exhibit his God-given role in the home as the leader and head of the family. He is to love their mother as Christ loved the church. He is to be a protector of the family and his wife, as the stronger vessel.
Ephesians 5:23-25 “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the savior of the body. Therefore, as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;”
As I reflect today on the goodness of my Lord, I am very thankful for the godly fathers in my life. My desire is for this godly fatherly heritage to be passed on to my grandsons and for my granddaughter’s future husband. No joy can match the knowledge that my children and grandchildren are walking the walk, and talking the talk of a follower of Christ. Happy Father’s Day to my Husband and my two Sons. Thank each of you for your discipline and dedication to doing things God’s way.
