My Dad

“Ascribe ye strength unto God: his excellency is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds.” (Psalm 68:34)

Times seem to have changed somewhat over the years. Today amid a pandemic of single parent homes and media which emasculates manhood, it is a good thing to remember our fathers.

My father stood about five feet and seven inches tall and weighed in at a massive 145 pounds; however, to a child he was a giant. My best friend and I would often compare qualities offering our best arguments concerning the awesomeness of our fathers. (Fortunately our fathers were friends – deacons at our church and got along well.)

In our discussions, we would speak of ability, “smarts,” and any other asset we could conjure in our minds. The discussions sometimes became heated – ending in a wrestling match.

Before asking my wife to marry me, I spoke with her father asking him for his permission and blessing upon our union. He stood about five feet and three inches tall, but as I approached him I was fearful. He was still her father – he was still the man of the family.

How different today is the vision of fathers – especially as espoused by our modern civilization. Even the “good” television shows depict the father as subservient to the rest of the family – often showing him as an ill-informed, bumbling fool.

The breakdown of the home has filtered over into our view of our Heavenly Father. He has been given a backseat to sports, family outings, and even internet trading.

Modern believers often make important decisions and enter into life-changing covenants without considering that there is a Heavenly Father to whom we answer. We attend sporting activities, plan family outings, and purchase items on the internet without consulting our Father.

Just a few days ago, I was reminded of this while preparing for a football game with my crew of officials. Prior to leaving our dressing facilities, one of the officials, rather nonchalantly, said, “Are we going to pray here or after we get on the field.” I always pray before games, but his closeness to our Father was impressive.

Before you get into your car to go to work, do you speak with your Father? Before you go shopping, do you ask your Father for wisdom? Before you go to your Friday night football game, do you ask your Father to lead you and guide you in your activity?

One of the reasons the world thinks so little of our Father is that we do not afford Him a proper place in our lives. Maybe we should return to our spiritual roots and “Ascribe ye strength unto God.” Make Him look big – defend His character – let everyone know that He is your Father – the best Father ever.