PLYMOUTH – Father’s Day in my home was always a great day! I knew that as a kid, after church, the smell of charcoal would permeate our backyard and house as we cooked Dad his favorite meal - steak.
I still remember it was a big day when Dad finally trusted me to cook it on my own! Once lunch was done, the best apple pie ever made would be for dessert, oftentimes with some homemade vanilla ice cream. My mom set such a great example for my sister and me on how to celebrate my dad on Father’s Day.
As I got older, I became more aware of why my dad was worth celebrating. My dad has spent his entire adult life in ministry, and many of those years as a pastor leading country churches. He will never be famous or well-known here on earth, but I am thankful that God allowed me to be raised by a man of God who pursued His Savior, and loves his wife and kids so well. To this day, I know I have a father who loves me and prays for me daily. When I look at Scripture, 1 Corinthians 16:13 comes to mind where Paul wrote:
Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. I am glad to say my father lives this verse out daily!
We live in a society that has devalued fathers. Because of the vacuum created, so grow up without the example of a good father. Unfortunately, Christians are not exempt from this either. So many in the church have never experienced what a loving, godly father can be in their life.
In spite of all of that, we have a heavenly Father who loves us, cares for us, and is strong when we are weak. He sets an example for every father to emulate. Even though Scripture tells us of the glory of God, and how His ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts, Scripture also shows us in 1 John 3:1a that he has loved us and chosen us when John wrote,
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.
As we reflect on our fathers this month, can I encourage the men out there to be men who stand firm in the faith and be strong? Your wife and your family need a husband and father that will lead well. But in that leading, let us never forget to pursue Christ. Be consistent in your walk with Him, stand strong on what Scripture teaches, and never forget to lead through the lens of grace!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Barry Martin is the location pastor for Mile City Plymouth. His wife, April as well as Caleb, Chloe, and Liam have called Michigan home for the past 7 years and love the beauty of up north! Barry enjoys seeing people finding the call that God has on their life and helping them fulfill their purpose. In his free time, Barry loves to golf and spend time coaching basketball.