“A young person’s relationship with his father can greatly color his attitude toward God.”

A thought by Lee Strobel (2015-02-24) from his book, The Case for Grace: A Journalist Explores the Evidence of Transformed Lives (Case for ... Series) (p. 18). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

We have just come through the celebration of our mothers. Mother’s Day is a very important time of honoring and thanking our mothers for the major impact they have in our lives but so do our fathers.

I had a very strong relationship with my father. He was my idol. A major part of my beliefs about life come from my father. He was truly a great gift from God and he showed me how to have a strong relationship with my heavenly Father.

Lee said, “I wasn’t aware that many well-known atheists through history — including Friedrich Nietzsche, David Hume, Bertrand Russell, Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, Arthur Schopenhauer, Ludwig Feuerbach, Baron d’Holbach, Voltaire, H. G. Wells, Madalyn Murray O’Hair, and others — had felt abandoned or deeply disappointed with their fathers, making it less likely they would want to know a heavenly Father.”

He then said, “I saw this illustrated later in life when I became friends with Josh McDowell, whose father was a violent alcoholic. ‘I grew up believing fathers hurt,’ Josh said. ‘People would tell me there’s a heavenly Father who loves you. That didn’t bring joy. It brought pain because I could not discern the difference between a heavenly Father and an earthly father.’ Josh became a self-described ‘ornery agnostic’ until his investigation of Christianity convinced him it was true.”

I thank God for the high privileged to be a father and now a grandfather. And I see because of the way my father impacted my life the importance of my living before them what it means to be a true Christ follower. It will have a great impact on who my family follows.

I am so thankful that my son and my son in law both have a real personal relationship with God our Father and it is making a difference in their relationship with their family. And that is making and will make a major difference in their family’s relationship with God.

So father, how is your relationship with God today?

Comments

“We believe it’s important to derive value from everything in our lives.”

A thought by Jon Tyson from his book, The Burden Is Light: Liberating Your Life from the Tyranny of Performance and Success (p. 118). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) But is that all that is important? Jon says, “We want to realize an immediate return from whatever we invest in. I am prone to this way of thinking in so many areas of my life. ‘I paid a lot for that meal, yet the portions were not that big.’ ‘I invested two hours in that movie, and it was just okay.’ ‘I went to church, but the sermon wasn’t that profound.’ We believe it’s important to derive value from everything in our lives. But beauty doesn’t fit within that framework. When Mary anointed Jesus with oil, there was an immediate outcry against her extravagant generosity. ‘It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.’ (Mark 14:5) One gospel depicts the disciples crying, ‘Why this waste?...

"Lie 2: The more you worry about it, the better your odds of avoiding it."

A thought by Louie Giglio in his book, Winning the War on Worry (p. 5). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Here is another lie that the Enemy uses with us. And Louie says, "This is a tricky lie. Yes, we often have cause for concern and preparation. But the Enemy wants you to believe that if you worry or fret over a certain outcome long enough, you can keep something bad from happening." But this is so important to realize. He says, "The reality is worrying has never once prevented something negative from happening. Planning might. Prayer has. But worry never will." He continues, "The Enemy tells you that by worrying about a situation (or every situation) you can make your tomorrow better. Really, worry just robs you of today. Jesus implored us: 'I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body mor...

“Hurry and love are incompatible.”

A thought by John Mark Comer from his book, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry (p. 23). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Wow, pretty strong thought isn’t it? John says, “All my worst moments as a father, a husband, and a pastor, even as a human being, are when I’m in a hurry—late for an appointment, behind on my unrealistic to-do list, trying to cram too much into my day. I ooze anger, tension, a critical nagging—the antitheses of love. If you don’t believe me, next time you’re trying to get your type B wife and three young, easily distracted children out of the house and you’re running late (a subject on which I have a wealth of experience), just pay attention to how you relate to them. Does it look and feel like love? Or is it far more in the vein of agitation, anger, a biting comment, a rough glare? Hurry and love are oil and water: they simply do not mix.” He goes on, “Hence, in the apostle P...

Just Continue That Thought...

Search This Blog