A Day for Dad

The Bible says to honor your father and mother (Exodus 20:12). How do we do that? There are many ways, but how about these ideas for starters: Listening to them, respecting them, and showing gratitude for who they are and what they do 

I grew up as a PK, or "preacher's kid." In the professional world, Dad joined the Ministerial Association wherever we lived. But to me, he was a "pastor."

Pastor brings to mind pasture. Pasture brings to mind sheep. Sheep need a shepherd. Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me” (John 10:14). That was the type of relationship Dad had with people in his congregations.

Dad loved to study God's Word. In fact, I was blessed by his preaching from both the Old and New Testaments. 

I've heard people say, “You preachers have it easy. You only work on Sunday.” Not true. With Dad, ministry was twenty-four/seven.

Sometimes people came to our home, sometimes to his office. He went to them, too, through hospital and home visitation. He felt it was important to care for God's sheep in practical ways and everyday settings.

My life was greatly influenced by his consistency. Although compassionate to the wayward, he held himself accountable to personal principles. For example, his word was his bond. 

Before Dad passed away, I was his caregiver for two and a half years. I often saw him read his giant print Bible and get down on his knees to pray. This matched my childhood memories.

For the last three days of his life, he was in a hospice care center. My oldest brother sat by him most of that time. 

One day, while enjoying a cup of hot tea in a deli, I felt prompted to go home and get my Bible. I wanted to honor my Psalm One Daddy.

Standing close to his bedside, I said, “Dad, according to Psalm One, you are a blessed man. You have not taken advice from the wicked, but you’ve walked in the ways of the Lord as you’ve read and studied His word.”

“You may not have felt prosperous, but God met your daily needs. You have consistently produced spiritual fruit as you’ve shared God’s Word and prayed for people."

“And there are people in the churches you pastored who have continually loved the Lord and raised their families to do the same.” 

Then I read Psalm One out loud, but Dad never responded. Hospice says hearing is the last to go, so I believe he heard me. 

Dad died in 2012, but today is Father's Day, and I'm honoring my father by sharing this special memory. 

Pixabay: Ai Generated, Dad, Heart; GDJ.

6 Ways To Be Blessed

Some people think that being blessed means being happy, but it’s more than that. To be blessed is to be part of God’s Kingdom. He loves to see believers acting on, or obeying, His word. God is aware of what we do, and we reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7-10).

Desiring to please God, we bring glory to His name by doing right. The first step is to fear Him. That means to respect and revere His authority.

Psalm 112 lists some ways we can be blessed:

1.  Delight in God's Commands (v.1)
2.  Be gracious and compassionate (v.4)
3.   Be generous and lend freely (v.5)
4.  Conduct your affairs justly (v.5)
5.  Be steadfast, trusting in the LORD (v.7)
6.  Give to the poor (v.9)

 In contrast, here are some worldly viewpoints that lack respect for God’s authority:

• My truth is more important than God’s
• I see no reason to be compassionate
• I’ll make a personal loan, but charge a hefty fee
• It's not important to judge impartially
• There’s no need to trust in God; I can make my own way
• I give to the poor when I feel like it, Christmas for sure

As Christians, it’s a constant choice between MY will and THY will. Jesus set the example for us, even at an early age (Luke 2:41-52). Later, He overcame Satan’s temptations (Luke 4:1-13). Later still, He agonized in prayer over the Father’s will in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:39-46).

While suffering on the cross, He was obedient to the end and declared, “It is finished!” (John 19:28-30). Then God tore the veil before the Holy of Holies in the temple from top to bottom (Luke 23:44-46; Mark 15:37-39). Jesus’ sacrifice was now the only acceptable way to be cleansed from sin.

It’s not always easy to do the right thing, but in addition to His example of prayer and knowing the Scripture, Jesus gave us two directives. We are to: (1) Take up our cross daily and follow Him (Luke 9:23), and (2) Show our love to Him by obedience to His commands (John 14:15).

Be blessed!

Pixabay: Rock, Sunrise, Morning Image; TomMarc

  

Watch Out! No Respect

WATCH OUT! NO RESPECT

Just this week I saw a huge trash truck trying to back out of a small street onto a larger one. He was on the opposite side from me and I noticed that he was on hold because cars kept whizzing around him.

My street curved where he was trying to back out. I felt uneasy about my limited view, so I stopped about a half block away and waited. There were no cars behind me.

He started to back up again, and once more a driver sped around him. I was thankful I had left some room since she crossed into my lane before swerving into her lane again.

At last the truck backed out into the street and headed my way. I was surprised to see him wave a thank you. As I drove on, the word respect came to mind. I thought I showed respect by waiting for him to back up and he showed respect for me by taking time to be polite.

Diamonds are for Everyone

Respect is like a sparking diamond. It has many facets to make it shine. Let's consider a few:

Regard: Your opinion of a person or their job affects the way you treat them. Do you treat higher ups with respect and people of less importance poorly?

Esteem: Your attitude reveals how important or valuable someone is to you. For example, do you esteem a waiter as much as a doctor? What would your world be like without each one?

Sharing: Every time you give respect to someone you share a part of yourself. Have you noticed how little sharing is done in a parking lot? People don't seem to have a second to spare.

Politeness: Our society has a "me first" edge. Common courtesy is no longer common. At the least, do you try to show respect with a simple please and/or thank you?

Empathy: This is the ability to share in another's emotions or feelings. In difficult situations, do you consider anyone besides yourself?

Control: The most important control is self-control. Losing your temper and lashing out at others shows a lack of respect, not just for them but for yourself, too. Do you ever feel good when you create a scene?

Thoughtfulness: This includes kindness and careful attentiveness to others. For example, when giving a gift do you consider what the receiver might enjoy? Or are you focused only on your satisfaction as the gift giver?

Your Attitude Matters

Respect is free and easy to give, but it's not automatic. Romans 12:10b says, "Honor one another above yourselves."

Do you really want to make a difference in this world? Consider how to give some respect. It's a good way to start.

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