Celebrating Dad

Father’s Day is right around the corner. For some it can be a great day honoring their dad, but for others it can be a difficult reminder of not having their dad. It could be that their dad has passed away, lives too far to get together, or the relationship is strained, or even that their father is estranged from them. Ultimately, God wants us to know that He is our Heavenly Father and while our earthly fathers might disappoint or fail us, His love will never fail us.

“being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,  and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you^[f] to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,  in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:11-14

Spend time with the Father. Take time this week to remind yourself of the fatherly love that God has for us. Reflect on different passages that talk about God as Father. Use a concordance or search index to look up the word, “father.” As you read the different verses, write down ways that you can see those different attributes of God in your life. Thank Him for the ways that He provides and cares for you like a father. Sometimes our relationship with our earthly father can affect our perception of God the Father. If your earthly father has hurt you or you have a strained relationship with him, ask God to help restore your image of what a father should be with His truth. It might even be helpful to go to a counselor or talk to a pastor at your church so that God can restore that part of your life.

Celebrate the dads in your life. Whether it is cooking a special meal or buying him a special gift, take time to honor your dad. Take time to write down different things you appreciate about him and either share the note with him, call him up and read it or read it aloud during the meal. Think through the different people in your life that have been a spiritual dad to you as well. It could be a coach, pastor at church, or teacher. Take time to let them know what role their relationship and mentorship has played in your life. Often times, people don’t realize the impact they have made on another person’s life.

Be a dad (or mom) to someone else. There are many children who don’t have a healthy relationship with their dad or mom. God has placed people in your life that you can mentor and “adopt” into your family. It could be inviting them over for a meal after church, grabbing coffee with them once a month, or going to their sporting events and cheering them on. It doesn’t have to be a formalized Bible study time or mentorship program. It could be as simple as inviting them over to hang out with your family and them getting to observe you being a dad. Being a spiritual father to someone can be for a season. It might be while they are going through a difficult time or for the four years while they attend a college, or it might be for a lifetime. Ask God to show you someone that might need a “spiritual mom or dad” in their lives. Pray for direction on how you can be a part of their life. Some churches have ministries that connect people that want to be mentored with those that are willing to mentor. There are also some ministries and organizations locally and nationally that aren’t associated with a specific church that have a similar focus.

Pray for family. The enemy wants to destroy marriages and families. Pray that God would protect marriages. Pray for husbands and dads, that they would be the spiritual leaders of the family that God intended them to be. Ask God to give them wisdom and discernment. Pray for restoration and reconciliation between dads and children if there is a strained or estranged relationship. Ask God to heal the wounds of children hurt by their fathers. Pray for the fatherless, that God would raise up men in their lives to mentor and be a spiritual father to them.

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