A Father’s Day Toast!

Father’s Day is a special day, a time for fathers across the world to kick their feet up, sit back in their recliners, drink a beer and enjoy a day of being appreciated for all their work they do for their families day-in and day-out. After all, fatherhood is tough job that can bring even the manliest men crying and retreating out of the lives of their family. You’ve worked hard all day long in an attempt to provide your family with everything they need. You come home after a long day and pour yourself out teaching and loving your children. You give yourself fully to your wife and love her as Christ did for the Church. You lead your family through the ups and downs of life, taking the spiritual reigns of the house so that you can guide them closer and closer to Christ. It is a tough job and today you get to feel appreciated for all the work you’ve done. Here are some words to encourage you and get you through the tough times.

1. You are appreciated. You are so appreciated as a father and the work and love you give to your family. In a society where fatherless homes are more and more common, the simple fact that you are there is changing the lives of your family in a way that could never happen in your absence. When you add the fact that you are actively and passionately serving your family know that you are so loved and appreciated. You taking the time and energy to provide for your family and then serving them is having a bigger impact than you realize. It’s sending the message to your children and wife that you love them and believe in them and that changes lives. Never forget how appreciated you are to your family. We forget to say how we feel time to time, so allow me personally to say I appreciate you and am praying for you.

2. You are not alone. Sometimes as men we can struggle with pride and that’s a very dangerous thing. Pride stops us from asking for help, seeking guidance, and puffs us up to think we are invincible. There are a couple key people we need to continually remind ourselves that they are on our team and in our corner. Wife: She’s wonderful isn’t she? She would do anything for us and will love us and give us the same love and grace that Christ would. Don’t keep her in the dark. If you’re overwhelmed with things go to her, bring her up to speed on what’s going through your head. She will walk confidently beside you wherever you go and will help any way she can, let her help. Church: We are here for you! It seems weird sometimes like well what are you suppose to help me with? But we are, it’s our job to equip you and guide you when it comes to getting through the hard times. If you need help leading your family spiritually or struggling with something and in need of prayer or counseling we are here to get you through so that you can better reflect Christ. Jesus: Our wonderful Savior, Friend, Counselor, Healer, and Giver is with us and inside of us. He sent His Holy Spirit to dwell with us and you can trust that He will be there for you. Lean on Him and His ways and trust in His divine plan and it will prove to be enough time and time again. He is worth of your praise and will provide for you, whether it’s physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually He will never leave you hanging.

3. You are making a difference. If you are ever stuck in a rut wondering if you’re doing anything right know that you are. You were called to lead your family and through Christ you are being continually built up and empowered to do just that! We do need to also continually remind ourselves that the greatest thing we can do for our families is not providing, but loving. You are making a difference but never forget the primary responsibility to your family. Time will past and your children will forget the things you bought them but they will never forget the love you gave them and the time you invested in them. Your top priority in making a difference is loving them and putting them first, sometimes that means working and sometimes that means saying no to work to be with them. They will appreciate the time more than anything else. No matter what though, rest assured that you are in fact doing a great job in the chaos of life and you are making a wonderful difference.

So take a break! Enjoy some time to reflect on the last year and where God has brought your family and get ready for another exciting year ahead. Wherever you end up always remember those simple truths though: you are appreciated, you are not alone, and you are making a huge difference!

Fruit of the Spirit: Patience

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, and self-control.” – Galatians 5:22-23a

Patience on the Golf Course

I spent a large portion of my life trying to prove myself as an athlete. I grabbed a hold of any sport I could get my hands on to see if I could prove myself great in the eyes of my peers. Many sports were abandon immediately for lack of skill or better yet a lack of body size (turns out my middle school football team had no place a 5′ slow wide receiver who weighted 80 pounds.) I was doomed from the start. However, one particular sport was tried and tried and tried again until ultimately my frustration decided to throw the towel in once and for all. Golf. A sport of precision, mental fortitude, and what I lacked above all patience.

I determined I was a terrible golfer from the first tee box but I tried to enjoy it none-the-less. My attitude would not let me however, I couldn’t get past how awful I was. I knew if I put the work in and stayed with it eventually it’d pay off but I couldn’t get myself to do it. Bad shot after bad shot after bad shot my patience run low. I decided it was time to put the clubs in the shed and find a new sport to try.

In hindsight, a lot of great family memories occurred on the same courses that frustrated me into agony. When I was younger, my attitude dictated much of my life. My lack of patience made many things impossible for me. I was always told “Patience is a virtue” but there has to be a way that this behavior manifests itself in our lives right? There has to be a way we can continue to grow in our ability to hold it right?

Patience in the Gospel

The Gospel so beautifully illustrates patience in a way that nothing else can. As we examine the history of God’s story we see His perfect patience seen time and time again. As He created the world and us, everything is good, everything is perfect. Yet, as sin lurks in the shadows and is born into Adam and Eve, God’s patience is first seen. While they rebelled and disobeyed still God is seen tending to them, caring for them, and creating a plan for restoration for the sin that has come into the world. Flash forward to God’s chosen people Israel as they live through the sacrificial system of offerings God has created to continually remind them of their dependence and how they will need an all-atoning sacrifice once and for all we see them fall away. They disobey God, their hearts grow cold, they become distant, God ushers them back into His arm, they stay there momentary and fall away and the endless cycle continues. God’s patience was working perfectly as He continued to love them, guide them, and bring them back into His loving arms time after time. Flash forward to Jesus, walking around the earth teaching His disciples and His lost sheep. As He lie in the Garden of Gethsemane telling His disciples that they would turn away from Him, His patience was at work. The Gospel at every level demonstrates (especially through the life of Christ) what it looks like to be patient. As Jesus lived His life, He was patient and loving. While He lived, as He taught, He knew as the all-knowing God that He was knew who would turn away from Him, who would reject Him, who would betray Him, who would crucify Him, yet He remained patient with everyone around Him. He remained loving because of this patience.

Patience in our Lives

As Followers of Christ, the Gospel comes to life in us. As Jesus died on the cross crushing sin, His Spirit would be given to all believers as a gift, a deposit of Him in us. We are able to be made more Christ-like because of this then. We can look toward Christ and His Spirit to be our patience. As our tempers falls we can start to see things as Christ sees them if we renew our mind to be like His. We can regain our focus and composure for our co-workers who run our patience low by seeing them as Christ sees them. They are loved, they are desired and wanted, they are broken and in need of the same Savior we desperately cling too for our hope.  We can see our child who continually disobeys us and is out of control as the same lost sheep that “The Great Shepherd” looked up and down through the meadow to find. Through this love our patience will shine through again, because of His patience. We just need to continually look to Christ to fill us with His Spirit; it may not solve our golf game problems, but it will solve our inability to show patience and love to those around us.