Life Lessons June 2024
By Doug Harrell
Mitchell County
The June Life Lesson is about Father’s Day which is actually June 16th this year. Father’s Day is not nearly as celebrated as Mother’s Day and is a much newer holiday. Mother’s Day was started in 1914 while Father’s Day was not recognized until 1972, Mother’s Day is still much more celebrated. While I take absolutely nothing from Mother’s Day, God created a family to be a mother and a father working together to birth and create a family. The nucleus of society was the family and still is the only mainstay that keeps society going in the correct direction, the family is based on Christian values and morals.
In today’s society, the family is not nearly as entrenched throughout the society as it was in my early years of growing up, which is so sad. I truly feel that the decline of the family is the major challenge in our country, and the world, that we face today. Just recently there have been all kinds of news articles protesting people who have given speeches at various commencement programs. They have spoken in favor of Christian values and of mothers being valued for being stay-at-home moms looking after the children.
I am not advocating that all Mothers should be stay-at-home moms. This is about the responsibility of the father in the home today. Traditionally the father’s responsibility has been focused more on the generation of the income required to pay the bills and provide a stable environment for the sustaining of the home. This is important but it is also critical that the father provides love, nurture, and training for the children, as well as the mother. The father is also to be the spiritual leader in the family and so many times today this has not been happening. Records show that where the father and the mother together take their children to church the percentage of the children that stay in church into their adult lives is about four times higher than if just the mother takes them. Prison records and arrest records show that in families where there is no active father in the picture, the children are much more likely to get into trouble.
“And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.”
Malachi 4:6
“Like as a father pitieth his children, So the LORD pitieth them that fear him. But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, And his righteousness unto children’s children;” Psalm 103:13, 17 KJV
“He that hath knowledge spareth his words: And a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit.” Proverbs 17:27 KJV
“He that walketh uprightly walketh surely: But he that perverteth his ways shall be known.” Proverbs 10:9 KJV
In today’s world, more than ever in history, it is critical that our men be not only the biological father but also the daddy that holds their arms out when the children want to jump into the pool but are afraid. He needs to be the daddy that loves as well as the daddy that corrects. Most of all, men must set an example that is true to the teachings of the Bible and not of the cultural world today by being the role models God would have us to be. Our actions are much more powerful than our words will ever be.
“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; And lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, And he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: Fear the LORD, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, And marrow to thy bones. My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; Neither be weary of his correction: For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; Even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.” Proverbs 3:5-8, 11-12 KJV
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Doug Harrell is a lifelong resident of Mitchell County, Owner of Harrell Hill Farms, a member of Pine Branch Baptist Church and former publisher of Blue Ridge Christian News. You can find him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/doug.harrell.77
You can read more good Christian News from Doug Harrell HERE
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