Whether you count your child’s
lifespan still as weeks and months, or by the decade, whether you push him or
her in a stroller or they sometimes push you in a wheelchair, you have had
those moments and experiences as a father, filled with anger and frustration –
some were righteously felt, but if we’re honest, others not so much. Fatherhood
is one of God’s great gifts and children are a blessing. Parenthood is the
primary relationship of all mankind, fathers and children, and it is to be one
where grace and mercy is freely practiced and love and compassion are
exercised.
But, when this relationship
breaks, it causes terrible heartache and heartbreak.
The devil cannot abide a peaceful, loving home. So, the devil loves to take the
gift and fill us with frustration and hurt so that we call fatherhood a burden,
and he loves to take the blessing and fill it with harsh words and broken
hearts so that we call it, instead, a curse. He fuels society to call children
a disposable choice, much like the terrible ties that will be given today. Love
and compassion are surrendered to getting even and showing who’s boss. Grace
and mercy are given over to self-justification and self-righteousness.
And then, when we men realize our
mistakes and our sins against our kids, the devil takes that all and wraps it
up with a horrible, thorny bow and delivers it to us again as shame and guilt.
He brings up memories from weeks, years, even decades ago, that good Christian
dads would never have thought such things, or felt such things, or done such
things toward their children. He leaves us fathers in our own despair, seeing
only our failures and our homes as anything but places where the Spirit of God
dwells. And, because society casts greater value on the strong, resilient man,
we men are told to suck it up and be, well, men. But, when men are crushed
under the weight of guilt and shame, where do we turn?
Dads of all ages – hear this Word
of God. Christ comes for you. He, who descends to earth as a human boy, who in
holiness perfectly submitted to earthly and sinful parents, is your Savior. For
all of those parental melt-downs, and fatherly conniption fits and tantrums,
and even the exasperated grandfather's “that’s not how we did it in our day,”
Jesus is yours. In repentance, surrender them to Him. They are in the past,
forgiven, abandoned at the cross. Jesus didn’t drag your sins up from the grave
with Him on Easter. Our Heavenly Father has forgiven you, dad, for all your
fatherly sins. Don’t let Satan continue to weigh you down with those moments.
In faith, know, believe, trust and rely that you, too, are forgiven by Christ.
In humility, confess your failing
to your kids and ask them for their forgiveness, too, without excuses or
condition (you know, the “I’m sorry I yelled, but if you would have cleaned up
your room…”) and pledge to do better next time. When you do that, you give your
child the wonderful opportunity to share the Word of God with you, the Word
that says, “I forgive you, Dad.” You might have to teach them to use those
words; that’s OK, and it’s worth teaching. Because there, in the family, united
with Christ in Baptism and grounded in the Word, there is Christ.
Dads: be at peace.
You are forgiven in Christ.
You are loved.
Amen.
My Dad - Walt Meyer
No comments:
Post a Comment