I plan to share with our church this Sunday how much I
dislike Father’s Day. Not that I don’t
like the cards, and the nice gifts the kids have made me over the years. Being a self-centered sinner like anyone, I
like being the center of attention, so I like that part of Father’s Day.
What I don’t like is the fact that as I prepare to address
God’s people on that day I usually seek to find a way to apply our text to
fathers, reminding us of our duty before God. And as I study what Scripture has to say to
fathers, I realize this: my role model
as a father is God, and my role model as a husband is Jesus. No pressure, right?
So I dislike Father’s Day in part because as I study up on
the topic, I’m reminded of far short I fall of those perfect examples. I’m reminded of my weakness, my failure of
being the Christ-like model to my family I should be. And I’ll make resolutions to do better, which
often turn out like most New Year’s resolutions; they last a few months and
then…
In the end, though, I’m reminded of this. I’m a sinner.
I’m imperfect. And though that
should never be used as an excuse for complacency, the reality is that as I
look at the perfect example of Christ I’m always going to fall short. Yet that shouldn’t discourage me to the point
of just giving up. It should continue to motivate me to seek Him more.
So, while we’ll never be husbands and fathers that match up
to the perfect example of our Heavenly Father and our Bridegroom, we can still
push forward in His power seeking to be Real Men. And by that I’m not talking about the naked,
hairy man, grunting sort of thing. I’m
talking about being a Real Man by biblical standards. What’s that?
Well, here’s the picture of being a real man. (Thanks to the folks at
Raising Godly Children for the great picture)
This is it.
Perfection will never come. But
being a Real Man means…
1. Seeking God in His Word.
We have to be in the Word of God, seeking Him, growing into His image
and likeness. I don’t care how big and
tough, or how rich and smart you are, men. If you aren’t a man of God, seeking His Word
and applying to your heart regularly, you’re not a Real Man. It’s that simple. And one of the reasons that’s
so important is because of that second characteristic in the above picture…
2. Teaching Your Children.
John Bunyan wrote to men saying: “First, concerning the spiritual state
of his family; he ought to be very diligent and cautious, doing his utmost both
to increase faith where it is begun, and to begin it where it is not. Therefore, he must diligently and frequently
bring before his family the things of God, from His Holy Word, in accordance
with what is suitable for each person.
And let no man question his authority from the Word of God for such a
practice.”
Teaching your kids to throw a ball is great. Teaching them to hunt is fantastic. Teaching
them about cars or computers or whatever your thing is a wonderful way to spend
your time. But if you neglect to teach
them the Word of God, you have neglected the most important thing you could
ever teach. We don’t need more highly
educated kids, we need more godly men and women, and then will come as Real Men
teach their children the things of God. And then…
3. Loving Your
Wife. Real Men don’t take their wives
for granted, don’t “lord” their authority over them, don’t neglect them in
favor of longing after airbrushed images of other women or the latest thing to
walk in at work. Real Men love their
wives, as Christ loved the church: sacrificially, voluntarily, unconditionally.
This is not only for the sake of ourselves and our wives,
but for the sake of our witness to Christ.
Larry McCall writes that “To some degree what the world thinks of Christ
and the church will come from what they see in us. They will see how our marriages mirror His
relationship with His church as the ultimate marriage prototype.”
We’ll never be perfect.
We’ll never fully reflect the model of our Heavenly Father or our Loving
Bridegroom. But we can, by His power at
work within us, still seek to be Real Men and encourage each other to do the
same. So celebrate this Father’s Day by
knowing that you may not be perfect, but you are the man God placed in your
family to reflect Him. So do it with all
you have, and give God all the glory.
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