Father’s Day. The third Sunday in June.
It’s always been a pretty low-key event around my house. Like a lot of dads, I’m not looking for a big party. I simply enjoy taking time to appreciate the legacy handed down from my father and watching how it’s being lived out through my kids.
But Father’s Day really does serve an important function in our culture. Despite the way dads are sometimes characterized in the media, fatherhood is not for the faint of heart. Dads need all the encouragement they can get—and society needs an annual reality check regarding how valuable fathers really are.
Why celebrate Father’s Day?
For anyone wondering why we need to celebrate Father’s Day, I can’t think of a better response than “the Bible says so.” In the Ten Commandments, God told His people to honor their parents—both mother and father (Exodus 20:12). Later, the apostle Paul reminded his readers that this was the only commandment that came with a blessing attached to it (Ephesians 6:1-3). So, God literally demands that we honor our fathers.
But there are a few other good reasons for putting dads on a pedestal—not just one Sunday a year, but on a regular basis.
Dads define culture
With all due respect to the thousands of “media influencers” out there, nothing holds a candle to the power of fatherhood when it comes to creating a culture. Truth is, dads make an indelible impact on their families. Their investments of love and energy produce positive results that are lacking in families where the dads are absent. So, that makes celebrating Father’s Day significant.
Dads model sacrifice
Admittedly, many fathers fall short of this mark. Not everyone grew up with a dad who put himself on the back burner to serve others. But dads who do it the right way make dozens of sacrifices a day without even thinking about it. They consistently look at a situation and wonder, “What’s best for everyone?” They show us what it means to put others first. Father’s Day lets us return the favor to a small extent.
Dads need it
As mentioned earlier, fathers really do need (and deserve) appreciation and affirmation. The voices of the culture spend a lot of time tearing men down. Guys need to know that their wives and kids believe in them. They need to be treated like superheroes every once in a while. Finding creative ways to celebrate Father’s Day helps scratch that itch.
Dads reflect the Father
The Bible is clear that dads have a responsibility to serve as the spiritual mentors of their families. Again, this doesn’t happen all the time in every home, but a lot of fathers tackle the job to the best of their abilities. They want what they do as fathers to point people toward the ultimate Father, the One whose love we can’t live without. And by honoring earthly dads, we bring honor and glory to our heavenly Father.
Becoming a father worth celebrating
It’s great when wives and kids are intentional about showing Dad just how much he means to them. But that doesn’t remove our responsibility as men to become the kind of fathers who can be celebrated. If we want to make it easier for those closest to us on Father’s Day, we’ve got to focus on developing godly character the other 364 days a year.
Walk in faith
As noted, Dads reflect the heavenly Father, and dads set the spiritual temperature of their homes. As Uncle Ben told Peter Parker, “with great power comes great responsibility.” Look for ways to mentor your kids and to support your wife every day. Ask God to help you become the best version of yourself so you can guide them toward being the best versions of themselves.
Protect and provide
In writing to Timothy, his son in the faith, Paul told him to emphasize the responsibility of men to care for their families. He said that anyone who doesn’t is worse than an unbeliever (1 Timothy 5:8). That provision certainly involves financial stability. It includes putting food on the table and a roof over everyone’s head. But it means so much more. It calls fathers to make their homes a safe place, a secure haven from the storms of life. Aside from leading them to Christ as Savior, that peace of mind may be the greatest gift you can give your wife and kids.
Be Present
As the old saying goes, the best way to spell “love” is T-I-M-E. A genuine dad spends genuine time with his wife and kids. Beyond that, fathers strive to be transparent and real. They demonstrate grace when offended, and they apologize when they are the one who offends others. Your kids will learn a lot of things from a lot of different people during their lifetimes. But if they’re ever going to learn anything beneficial from you, you’ve got to be present in their lives.
Honoring the fathers in your life
I’ll be honest: I have a great father. Much of who I am as a man, husband, and dad can be traced back to what I learned from him—and continue to learn from him. And I know not every dad has that story. But I’m hoping that, even if your biological father fell short, you still have a “dad” in your life that you can honor.
Look at the men who have made a difference in your life. Whether it’s your father or a close mentor, spend time thanking them. And look for ways to take what you’ve learned from them and share it with generations to come (2 Timothy 2:2).
