Father’s Day: Being a father – lessons
from Ephesians 4.
Ephesians 4:1. As a prisoner for the
Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.
2. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in
love. 3. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of
peace.
I’ve used that first verse, with a minor change, as part of
my charge and philosophy of being a “Dad.” Here’s how I read it:
“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a
life worthy of being called a Dad.”
For me, being a Dad is a divine calling.
The Apostle Paul, in I Timothy 3:12, is
talking about a church leader must be a person who
“…must
manage his children and his household well.”
(My Greek dictionary lists the word as ‘proistemi’: Pronounced pro-is'-tay-mee
“maintain; manage”)
I Timothy 5:8.
“If anyone does not
provide for his
relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and
is worse than an unbeliever.” (Again, my Greek
dictionary says the word is ‘pronoeo’: Pronounced pron-o-eh'-o “to consider in
advance, i.e. look out for beforehand [actively, by way of maintenance for
others; middle voice by way of circumspection for oneself]: KJV--provide for.)
So, Paul was saying – once we get the muddled English out of
the way, was that it is absolutely imperative for any man who considers himself
to be a ‘believer’ to be one who ‘maintains’ his household in such a way that
the management of risks and benefits are considered in advance; the best
interests and opportunities for his household are circumspectly analyzed; that
he is the middle voice of calm, encouragement, hope, vision, provision and
opportunity.
Here’s how I understand Ephesians 4:1.
“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of being
called a Dad. 2. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one
another in love. 3. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through
the bond of peace.”
Dad, ‘be completely humble and gentle.’
Dad, ‘be patient.’
Dad, ‘hang in there with your kid in
love.’
Dad, ‘make every effort…make it your
top priority, to keep the unity of the Spirit in the house through the bond of
peace.’
And then that last verse of Ephesians chapter 4 (32.):
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each
other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Five things…those are just five little phrases from the
fourth chapter of Ephesians that can enable a man to live a life worthy of being
called a Dad.
So what about me, did I do it right? I’m not done trying. I
still have hopes of being worthy of being called a Dad.