Articles
How Much Do You Respect Your Father
Our respect for our dad ebbs and flows over the course of our lives. Can you relate to the following pattern? I found this in The Speaker’s Quote Book by Roy B. Zuck.
4 years: My Daddy can do anything!
7 years: My Dad knows a lot . . . a whole lot!
8 years: My Father does not know quite everything.
12 years: Oh, well, naturally Father does not know that either.
14 years: Oh, Father? He is hopelessly old-fashioned.
21 years: Oh, that man—he is out of date!
25 years: He knows a little bit about it, but not much.
30 years: I must find out what Dad thinks about it.
35 years: Before we decide, we’ll get Dad’s idea first.
50 years: What would Dad have thought about that?
60 years: My Dad knew literally everything!
65 years: I wish I could talk it over with Dad once more.
Where are you in this cycle? Though not all fathers possess wisdom, chances are yours does. Do you regard him with the respect he deserves?
Even if he lacks wisdom, his position as your father earns him a place of honor in your heart. The Bible commands in both the old and new covenants, “Honor your father and mother” (Exod. 20:12; Eph. 6:2). If for no other reason, we should honor him for his God-given role.
Take some time today to tell him how much you respect him and why. This will mean more than any tool or gadget you might give him. And don’t stop at Father’s Day.
Connect with your dad on a regular basis. Keep that relationship strong. One day he’ll be gone and you’ll wish you could go back and talk to him one last time.
Embrace the opportunities you have now to glean from his wisdom. Choose to see his positive attributes, not his negative ones. Forgive any hurt he may have caused in the past, and love him freely and openly.
If you do, you’ll never regret it. More importantly, you’ll please your Father who is in Heaven.
