Earthly Dads are not PERFECT
When I was a child, living at home with my parents, I knew many things to be true. Maybe you too. For example, I knew my parents loved me, for they fed me, clothed me, educated me, and gave me a place to live. Additionally, I knew my parents wished for me to grow up to become a strong-minded, hard-working, and fully-dedicated individual, for they taught me the value of work, taught me the importance of family, and taught me the truth about God.
Today commemorates a special holiday in America—Father’s Day. It is the day we set aside to honor those men who followed God’s will found within procreation, and it is the day we remember and celebrate our earthly fathers.
Before reading another word, we must realize that not all earthly dads are ‘good’ dads, but then, neither are all earthly mothers (‘good’ moms). Nonetheless, there exist earthly moms and earthly dads who categorically fit into the list of ‘GOOD.’ My dad was such a man, and I hope you can claim the same.
However, there is a truth that we recognize early in life: our earthly dad is not perfect. That place of position belongs to ONLY ONE FATHER—OUR HEAVENLY FATHER.
We can agree on the truth—
- The Son of Man Himself was the PERFECT Son of God.
- Jesus, the Son of Man and Son of God walked through His life, living out the PERFECT example.
- The Lord Jesus was PERFECTLY obedient to His Father’s will.
- The Messiah walked in PERFECT dependence to Father God’s command, willingly submitting.
Do not believe because it is written here; believe because the Bible proclaims it so.
“They came to a place named Gethsemane;
(The Gospel According to Mark 14: 32-36 NAS)
and He said to His disciples,
“Sit here until I have prayed.”
And He took with Him Peter and James and John,
and began to be very distressed and troubled.
And He said to them,
“My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death;
remain here and keep watch.”
And He went a little beyond them,
and fell to the ground and began to pray that if it were possible,
the hour might pass Him by.
And He was saying,
“Abba!
Father!
All things are possible for You;
remove this cup from Me;
yet not what I will,
but what You will.”
Therefore, we can agree: Earthly Dads are not PERFECT; nevertheless, we can also emphatically state that if our earthly dads profess to know Jesus as their Savior and Lord, then they follow the PERFECT example: JESUS!
“yet not what I will, but what You will.”
The Bible remains prophetically clear about the facts:
- God sent His only Son to earth,
- God sent His Son Jesus to earth to walk in submission to the Father’s will,
- God sent His Son Jesus to earth to walk in submission to the Father’s will, to lay down His earthly life,
- God sent His Son Jesus to earth to walk in submission to the Father’s will, to lay down His earthly life, to die upon Calvary’s cross and to resurrect three days later, &
- God sent His Son Jesus to earth to walk in submission to the Father’s will, to lay down His earthly life, to die upon Calvary’s cross and to resurrect three days later, to overcome death once and for all—so that when we die, we may reside with our heavenly Father forevermore.
JESUS PERFECTLY FOLLOWED HIS HEAVENLY FATHER’S WILL!
JESUS CHRIST REMAINS OUR PERFECT EXAMPLE!
Thus, on this day of remembrance, a time when we honor our earthly dads, we can bow our heads and offer thankfulness to our heavenly Father for gifting us with earthly dads who taught us through their examples how to humbly follow the PERFECT SAVIOR & LORD—JESUS!
The dads who raised us, if he was a God-fearing man, carried us to church when we were small, sat with us on the church pew several times each week, and bowed down beside us, praying to the PERFECT ONE.
Through these teachings, our earthly dads taught us:
- That they loved us.
- That they were present with us.
- How to live right from wrong.
- How to love Jesus.
The apostle Paul, the bond-servant of God, the Father, wrote in a letter to a man named Titus these words that commemorate the importance of godly, earthly dads.
“Older men are to be temperate,
(The Letter of Paul to Titus 2: 2 & 6-8 NAS)
dignified,
sensible,
sound in faith,
in love,
in perseverance.”
. . .
“Likewise urge the young men to be sensible;
in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds,
with purity in doctrine,
dignified,
sound in speech which is beyond reproach,
so that the opponent will be put to shame,
having nothing bad to say about us.”
Then the apostle was led by the Holy Spirit, telling us why.
“For the grace of God has appeared,
(The Letter of Paul to Titus 2: 11-15 NAS)
bringing salvation to all men,
instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires
and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age,
looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus,
who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed,
and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.
These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority.
Let no one disregard you.”
Even though earthly dads are not PERFECT this side of heaven, praise the LORD, there remains a man, the Son of Man & Son of God—WHO IS PERFECT.
- Thank you Donnie for teaching me, for carrying me to church, and for introducing me to JESUS.
- Thank YOU, LORD JESUS, for saving my earthly daddy & for carrying him home to heaven—when he died.
- Thank YOU, JESUS, for saving my soul, so that one day when I die, I will see my earthly dad there with YOU—the PERFECT ONE there with my HEAVENLY FATHER.