FATHER’S INFLUENCE

It’s a Father’s Day weekend, it is also the World Cup of real football (soccer we call it here), it is also a month in which my oldest son got his G1 licence and is driving with instructors, with myself watching, and a couple of times with the whole family.  As my wife puts her head in her hands, it is my responsibility to show him trust, encouragement, and right things to do.  To say that a father’s influence in lives of little kids is huge, would be understatement – it is contagious and transforming.  They do everything they watch the father do. 

I shared with members attending the business meeting last Sunday a short letter written by a father to his five years old as a last will and testament.  And my question to you today would be along same lines: “if you were to write a letter to your child as your direction for future, what would you say?  Would you mention the Church?”

Here I will quote only a few short lines from the abovementioned letter “to my son regarding my hopes and dreams for him as they pertain to the church...By the time you read this it might be hip to like church again.  Right now it isn’t, but you are only five and for you it is just another place with good toys, friends and lots of space to run...you love church now for many same reasons we love it – friendship and relationships – you’re getting to know people whom you’ll hopefully know for a long time sharing common bond in Christ..as you grow up you may wonder why we are making you go to church. We are doing it because we love church ourselves and we want to honor God by worshiping with other believers, and we care for your spiritual growth, and when you get to be our age – you’ll understand.  There may be a long period in your life when you will have an indifferent or maybe even hostile relationship with church.  During your grade school you may be sitting in church drawing cars and football players, but you will still hear Scripture read, songs sung, sermons preached – and you will remember them, singing in your head, reciting in your head in most unusual and difficult situations in life...”

You get the drift – the letter is lengthy.  I would like all fathers ask themselves today – have we shown to our children our love for the Bride of Christ, the Church?  Have we treated our wives with affection and self-sacrificing love, as Christ loved the Church (Ephesians 5:25)?  Kids are watching, learning from us our attitudes, which will impact their character and life.  In those situations where fathers themselves need to learn we turn to Our Heavenly Father.

As we look into the future, it is our family life, and our stance to the church, that will shape it. Set your priorities and make sure that our next generation knows what is important in our lives.