The Need for Ongoing Encouragement

One day little Andy, 3, was talking with his bigger sister, Jennifer who was 5.  Their parents half-listened to their chit-chat until Jennifer startled the whole family by pointing to her dad and saying, “That’s not your real father.”  Andy replied, “Yes, he is!”  Jennifer insisted, “No, he’s not.  God’s your heavenly father.”  Then pointing at her dad, she said, “That’s your homely father!”
 
In another sibling conversation, one little boy was explaining Father’s Day and he said to his younger brother, “It’s just like Mother’s Day, only you don’t spend as much on the present.”
 
David McCasland observed that Father’s Day is celebrated in many countries worldwide.  Although the origins, activities, and the actual day of observance differ widely, they all share the common thread of honoring fathers for their role as parents.
 
McCasland then shared how one year he decided that for Father’s Day he was going to start doing something different.  Instead of waiting to receive a card or phone call from his children, he was going to send them and his wife words of appreciation before they wished him Happy Father’s Day.  He noted that without them, after all, he wouldn’t be a dad.
 
The Apostle Paul instructed fathers to be a positive part of their children’s development rather than a source of anger and discouragement.  He wrote, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).  In Colossians 3:21 we read, “Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.”  Both of these verses are written within passages about loving and honoring each other in family relationships.
 
The role of a father changes as children grow, but it doesn’t end.  Praise and encouragement are welcomed whether a child is 4 or 40.  Prayer for our children is a powerful necessity.  And it’s never too soon or too late to mend a broken relationship with a son or daughter.  Fathers, now is a good time to tell your children how much you love and appreciate them.
 
Blessings to you,
Tyler