Holidays that focus on family relationships draw more attention with each passing year – some of it good and some not so good. As we pointed out with Mother’s Day, Father’s Day is not a pleasant day for many.
Everyone has a father. That much is obvious. The problem comes when Father’s Day becomes a one-size-fits-all event. Everyone has a different life-experience regarding having a Father, being a father or not being a father.
Many are blown away by the faithful sacrifice of their dads. Sadly, many are also devastated by their fathers. There are men who are thrilled with the joy of being a father. There are others who are not. There are still others who long to be fathers but are not. There are fathers who are deeply appreciated and just as deeply despised. There are those who continue to enjoy their father’s company but there are others who have only a collection of memories to cling to.
Fatherhood brings out the best and the worst of the human spirit. Just as there are fathers who have sacrificed everything for their children, there are also those who have sacrificed only for themselves. Since leadership is one of a father’s primary responsibilities families are blessed or damaged by how well leadership is executed by each dad.
Father’s Day is a day of great enjoyment, profound sadness, painful memories, happy memories or even indifference, all rolled into one. This is the problem with days that celebrate human relationships. They are a mixed bag. Those who celebrate Father’s Day should have compassion for those cannot. It is vital to remember that apart from the work of Christ there would be no good fathers or mothers.
By focusing on the human element the divine establishment of marriage and parenthood is pushed to the background. It is God’s specific design that there are husbands and wives, fathers and mothers. No one becomes a good father on his own. Only God defines what is a good father.
Whether your father brings good thoughts, bad thoughts or a mixture of each, there is always the wonder that God is our father, our hope, and our model for fatherhood.
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. (Ephesians 3:14-15)