I know another Fathers Day has come and gone but I want to expand the thought the Lord gave me for our church bulletin for this past Sunday. Here it is: [“What is compassion? The dictionary says it is "a sympathetic consciousness of the distress of others together with a desire to alleviate it." That should help us to better understand why David wrote: As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him. (Ps. 103:13) By this verse, we can see that, just like God, a good father genuinely cares for his children and loves them so much that when they are in distress, it hurts him too and makes him want to do whatever he can to help alleviate their pain. Men, on this Fathers’ Day, have you been that kind of a father? If you have, God will bless you and I salute you for it. If you haven’t, it is never to late to start.”]
Although obviously there are many exceptions, the Bible makes the general conclusion that a good father has that type of character. Unlike women, men are not usually blessed in the realm of social graces. They don’t always have the ability to effectively and tenderly demonstrate their love for others, their children included. Their outward appearance doesn’t help either in that regard. I’ll never forget the time when I saw an elderly gentleman walking into a small restaurant as my wife and I were leaving. He was a sight to see. He looked like he hadn’t combed or shaved in a few days and was wearing an old cap that looked like it had missed a couple of oil changes. He was sporting a pair of wrinkled baggy trousers and a T-shirt that exposed a little bit of tummy because of the few holes it had. What stuck in my mind’s image the most, however, was the inscription on his T-shirt. It read: “The World’s Greatest Dad.” I admit that when I read it, I quickly shed a tear. I told myself: “To many, this man may look like a bum, but apparently someone thinks he’s the best dad in the world.” In many cases, it is because of their outward appearance that people fail to see that deep down inside, there is a man who loves his children to death. I believe that any man, especially a Christian man, who does not feel pain or anguish when his children are in distress, needs to re-examine his relationship with Christ.
Memory Verse for the week: (Ephesians 4:32) Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as, in Christ, God forgave you.
