So you will need every piece of God’s armor to resist the enemy whenever he attacks, and when it is all over, you will be standing up. To do this, you will need the strong belt of truth and the breastplate of God’s approval. Wear shoes that are able to speed you on as you preach the good news of peace with God. In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan. And you will need the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. Ephesians 6:13-17
Years ago when we served Calhoun First Methodist, Ashley was into looking for the cocoons of caterpillars mainly because she wanted to put it in the “Box” on a Sunday morning so her Dad would have to open it and explain it during the children’s sermon. It would be even better if a butterfly flew out on that day.
We did find one, but that caterpillar was firmly nestled inside that cocoon. As we watched daily, the caterpillar began a struggle so great that it was exhausting for us. There was a valuable lesson in this struggle. The price of freedom, flight, and discovery is struggle, development, and finally breakthrough. The caterpillar has a purpose in becoming a butterfly.
Even Cicadas, though they are annoying us right now, have a purpose. They actually prune mature trees, aerate the soil, and once they die, their bodies yield an important nitrogen source for growing trees. Everything has a purpose.
God has given each of us certain relationships, skills, experiences and attributes that we can use to help Him fulfill His purposes in this life. If we let Him, He will cultivate talents in us that will serve His kingdom in ways we can’t even imagine.
Maybe someone has a God give athletic talent or musical abilities that can be used as a platform for His purpose. It could be our creative genius, our work ethic, or even our idiosyncrasies that God will use for His purpose. No matter what, we are to use our God given talents and create a purpose for our life and His kingdom.
Just as we all have different purposes, no purpose is better than another – just different. God created Fathers with a purpose in mind. These special guys are entrusted with serving as an example of the heavenly Father’s love for all his children. His love is sacrificial, kind, humble, honest, forgiving, faithful and selfless just as a father’s love should be. The job of being a dad is getting harder as society and its definitions and expectations change.
Fathers in this day and age are going to require the full armor of God to aid in raising their children in a Godly way. Truth will be required, faith will be tested, salvation will be questioned, and Biblical knowledge will be a strong ally to aiding Fathers reach their purpose in this world.
William Hodding Carter said: “There are only two lasting bequests that we can hope to give our children. One is roots; the other is wings.” When Fathers teach their children that they are loved unconditionally, those children have roots. They can stand up and handle whatever life throws at them. By the same token, when self confidence and encouragement are instilled in children, Fathers give them wings.
It’s paramount that children know that they are loved and accepted because of their unique worth. John McKay, the great USC football coach, had a son who was also a great football player for USC. When the coach was asked during an interview to comment on his son’s accomplishments, he said: “Yes I’m pleased that John Jr. had a good season this year. He does a fine job, and I am proud of him, but I would be just as proud if he had never played football at all.” His answer reflects his father’s respect for his son no matter the situation because the place in his father’s heart was secure and independent of his performance. Christ’s love is not performance based, it’s unconditional, unbreakable and unending. A Father’s love should be the same.
A Christian Father always keeps God’s purpose first. He knows a secular family, friendship, and country always lead to chaos and division. Purpose is our shield of armor. Frances Schaeffer said, “When man forgets his purpose, he forgets who he is and what life means.”
God’s armor is available for Fathers and for all of us. All we need to do is suit up and remember our purpose!
Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads.
This is wonderful and I had the most loving, caring, Christian father and I will always be thankful for everything he did for me!