What is the first thought that comes to your mind when you think of God? What is the first thought that comes into your mind when you think of father? Some fathers physically abuse their sons. Others mentally abuse them using the toxic power of the tongue. Toxic tongues and poisonous words can belittle and assassinate their characters for a lifetime.
Some fathers can live in the same house and are so distant from their children that they might just as well not even be there. Some reputable polls taken reveal that many fathers spend a few minutes a day conversing with their children. If you could spell time “LOVE” then many fathers are failing drastically in this all important area of their lives.
This deep father wound will never go away. Beatle John Lennon’s son Julien Lennon said his father rarely talked to him and was never involved in his life. On one painful occasion John said to Julien “You came out of a whiskey bottle on a Saturday night.”
Julien still winces at that awful memory and those words today. Most ironically John Lennon had another son by a different woman and did the exact opposite in raising him. He spent much time with him, becoming involved in every aspect of his life. Julien cried, “Why could that not have happened with me?”
Playing favourites can leave deep, life long wounds that can haunt a child for the rest of their life. Or one child can be viewed as never doing anything right and the other not doing anything wrong.
In Genesis 37 vs 31ff Jacob, Joseph’s father, made him a multi coloured robe. Why? This Scripture says that he loved Joseph more than any of his other sons. How did the other brothers respond? Answer- they hated him so much they dipped that robe in blood, brought it back to Jacob and told him that a wild animal had killed Joseph.
If you receive Christ as Saviour and Lord by confessing your sins to Him, your true Heavenly Father will never abuse you, ignore you or play favourites. He will lavish His love upon you daily, He will help you through life’s struggles and then one day when you cross that finishing line in the race of life, Jesus will sweep you into His loving arms and say to you…”My son or daughter you are mine, welcome home.”
To all the fathers out there…have a Wonderful Father’s Day.
Pastor Gary
