Happy Fathers Day! This morning, I greeted my husband, the father of two sons, with a question: Are you a Happy Father? He assured me that he is. I have a brother, the only son of our father, who is a Happy Father and is happily anticipating his son becoming a father. What is it that makes a father happy? What gives him lasting pride in his children, even through the ups and downs of parenthood? Remembering that the Bible holds many verses related to that question, I gleaned a few answers from a list entitled What Does the Bible Say About Fatherhood?
- Happy Fathers have wise children. Proverbs 10:1 says “A wise son makes a glad father,” and Proverbs 23:24 proclaims, “The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him.”
- Happy Fathers are honored by their children. Children are commanded by God the Father to honor their father and their mother within the 10 Commandments.
- Happy Fathers have children who gain wisdom by listening to them. Proverbs 23:22 says, “Listen to your father who gave you life.”
- Happy Fathers have obedient children. Paul connected honor and obedience in Ephesians 6:1-2, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.“Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth,” and in Colossians 3:20, “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.“
- Happy Fathers have JOY in knowing that their children are walking in the truth. (3 John 1:4)
In this imperfect world full of sinfulness, no earthly father or child perfectly fulfills the role. Our perfect Creator God saw our sinfulness and did the most amazing thing! Because he loved this world full of sinful people SO MUCH, he gave his only begotten Son so that we, believing in Jesus as Savior and Lord, could have a new life as an adopted child of our Father God.
The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. (John 1:9-13)
PLEASE PRAY WITH ME
Father God, we honor you for you are our loving Father, inviting us into your family through your Only Son Jesus. And by your Spirit, we can come to you in the closeness of a child with his or her Dad. You are completely trustworthy and completely good. As our imperfect fathers seek to give good gifts to us, sometimes they fail, but we know that You, our Father in heaven, are perfect and do give good gifts to those who ask.
We thank you for our parents, especially our fathers, today. We pray that you will bless and strengthen them, help them to lead and love well, and bring happiness to their hearts. Show us how to respect and honor our fathers today and every day. Some of us are sad, missing fathers who are no longer here. We pray that we will continue to live lives that would make them proud.
We know, God, that not every father is happy today. Some are unable to be with their children. Some are unemployed or underemployed, even while they long to provide for their family’s needs and wants. Some have not had or not taken the opportunity to bring up and train their children in the way they should go. Thank you, God, for being a father to the fatherless. You are the only one who can heal the hurts of the human heart. Because you forgive us, may we also forgive others, forgive ourselves, and seek to be more like you in our human relationships.
Father God, we were once prodigals, turning away from you and going our own way. Some of us may be away from you still. We praise you because you are the Father who watches and waits for your children to turn back to you, to rejoin the family and share in your JOY! You are the source of life and our hope for eternity. Surely goodness and mercy will follow us all of our days, and we will dwell in your house forever because of your gift – Jesus. In his name we pray. Amen.
A favorite photo from 2008 of son Eric, husband Dave, and son Kyle