 In the 1960s-era TV series The Andy Griffith Show, a man tells Andy he should let his son Opie decide how he wants to live. Andy disagrees: “You can’t let a young’un decide for himself. He’ll grab at the first flashy thing with shiny ribbons on it. Then, when he finds out there’s a hook in it, it’s too late. Wrong ideas come packaged with so much glitter that it’s hard to convince them that other things might be better in the long run.” He concludes that it’s important for parents to model right behavior and help “keep temptation away.”
In the January 25, 2023 devotion from Our Daily Bread, Alyson Kieda observes how Andy’s words are related to the wisdom found in Proverbs: “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it” (22:6). Although many may read these words as a promise, they're really a guide. All of us are called to make our own decision to believe in Jesus. But we can help lay a Biblical foundation through our love for God and Scripture. And we can pray that as the little ones under our care mature, they choose to receive Jesus as Savior and walk in His ways and not “in the paths of the wicked” (v. 5). Father’s Day is a special day for honoring those who are Dads to us. Dads are dads because of the way they nurture us, mentor us, and are present in our life. Some are fathers as a result of being a blended family or through adoption, or because we married their child and now they are our father-in-law. Some are like dads to us because they are our neighbor, or they are our best friend even though they are older. There are current dads, grandfathers and great grandfathers. Some fathers have lost a child, others are in the full swing of dad-hood and always feeling tired; yet other dads have adult children who are no longer living under their roof. No dad is perfect, but even imperfect dads are doing the best they can. You can be a dad if you are willing to serve others in some way, whether by taking someone under your wing and mentoring them, or by being willing to love them through spending time together, or by encouraging someone with your love and compassion. Men, you are loved by Jesus, and you are loved by this church. We are so happy to know you and to minister not only to you, but with you in whatever capacity you are able to serve in the name of Jesus. May God bless you at whatever stage of life you are in so that you will live faithfully as his disciple…as a confident, grace-filled follower of the One who gave his life for us that we may live in his presence now and forever. Go hug a dad sometime today, even if it’s the one who’s like a dad to you. Tyler
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