Father's Day 2010

Eph 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 "Honor your father and mother"-which is the first commandment with a promise- 3 "that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth."  4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. NIV

I never knew my father. He died in an accident the day I came home from the hospital. My stepfather was hard working and fair. He did the best he could for his family.

 

Tonight, alone in Japan with Sharon visiting her mother in the USA following the death of her father, I had some thoughts to share about Father’s Day. Fathers are not perfect! In fact, many of us are far from it. I shudder at the mistakes that were made with my family. Several times letters have been written to my wife and children asking for their forgiveness. So much time and energy was spent in ministry that my family was neglected. Still the commandment is directed to children to honor both parents with a warning to the fathers to not cause their children to become angry.

 

Children forgive your fathers for those things that they did wrong-whether great or small! And be careful not to judge them as that will return to you according to the Bible. Just love them! Tell them that you love them. Even if he is one of those tough non-emotional types! Please don’t wait as many do to “canonize” the father after they are gone. Love them now. Forgive them now. Don’t copy their mistakes. Learn from them and don’t repeat them with your family. Take the good things you learned from them and saw in their lives. Put them to work in your life as you also forge your own path. So much was learned from a grandfather from whom I had no blood ties. He was short of stature but a tough Pennsylvania Dutch. He taught me many things in life. I learned that there was a solution to any problem and that one should never give up no matter how hard life became.

 

So go ahead and honor your father today. Your biological father, your spiritual father, your mentor if you have one! There are many men today without biological offspring that are truly wonderful fathers to many young men and women. Men, go ahead and accept the honor and attention bestowed on you today. Don’t be shy. Be sure to give God all the Glory for anything good said about your life and heritage. You would be nothing without Jesus Christ in your life. Be sure to tell you wife and children (grand’s included) that you love them. Don’t be ashamed to shed a tear in front of them. Young people need to see more men cry.

 

God bless you men! May God bless every area of your life and family!

 

Dan Corbett

Fukuoka, Japan

“Reaching One Among Million