FATHERS AND FATHERHOOD

Time with Jesus - Friday, 25 January 2013

Hi all,

When you were growing up, did you ever come across a book or magazine focusing on the family? I can’t recall seeing one. There were a number of books on bringing up children. If I remember rightly, there was one written by a certain Dr Spock. At one time, it was regarded as a sort “Child Rearing Bible”, if you know what I mean. I vaguely remember it was slavishly followed. Also, it did not always produce the successes it claimed. The final indignity was that when it came to raising his own children, Dr Spock refused to have anything to do with his own book! Then, in the 1960’s, Star Trek arrived on the TV screen. It amused me greatly, that the emotionless man, with long pointed ears from the planet Vulcan and the mind of a computer, was called Mr Spock. I remember wondering if there was a connection? Today’s meditation is all about fatherhood.

Blessings,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Friday, 25 January 2013			Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give
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INTRODUCTION			DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES	Fathers and Fatherhood
The Lord blessed me with an extraordinary man as a father. He was not easy to get to know. He tended to be a thinker and was well read. I distinctly remember seeing the complete works of Charles Dickens in his father’s home. His father (my grandfather) was an extraordinary reader. He even read books walking to and from work. My grandfather was something of a pianist. In the days between the wars, going to the pub was more or less the only form of entertainment available in North East England. He would walk into a pub and sit down at the piano; a prerequisite in those days. In no time there would be several “pints” lined up on the piano for Ernie the pianist. He would play for a couple of hours and then get up, walk out and go home. My father, another Ernie, was like my grandfather. He didn’t learn to play the piano, but he was like his father. Both of them were good listeners and poor talkers. They were content to listen, take it all in and quietly go about the business of living life. Dad had a touch for working on large turbo-alternators. This skill put him into a reserved occupation during WWII. He spent most of the time visiting power stations etc. He managed to get them going again in spite of Hermann Goering’s bombers. He met my mother in 1938. They married in 1940. She was his first and only girlfriend. I was born in 1942 and called Ernie! Mom insisted they call me by my second name (James) Jim for short. In some respects, his skill influenced our relationship. He was constantly being called away to fix things - turbines. When we came to South Africa he travelled around installing, checking and repairing similar equipment. So we were never really able to get close. In any case, he was my Dad. He was seldom wrong about anything. He only ever commented about topics he was familiar with. Was he a good role model for me? How would I know? He was the only father I had. I thought the world of him. It never occurred to me that he might not be right. Besides, he behaved much like his father. That’s the way it was back in the 1950’s for me and the 1930’s for him. No doubt it would have been much the same as my grandfather was treated at the beginning of the 20th century! Before that? Who can say? Was I a good father? In the light of God’s word I must say no. I treated my children much the same way as I’d been treated. It was the same way for each generation! All of it was terribly normal – whatever normal means. Those days are now about 60 years ago! Knowing what I know now, I’m sure things would have been much different. But that’s the problem. Hindsight is always 20/20 vision. Jim & Phyllida Strickland			15 You didn't receive a spirit that makes you a slave to fear once again. Instead you received the Holy Spirit, who makes you God's child. By the Spirit's power we call God "Abba." Abba means Father. Rom 8:15 NIrV 1 After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son so He can give glory back to You. John 17:1 NLT 11 Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to You. Holy Father, You have given Me Your name; now protect them by the power of Your name so that they will be united just as We are. John 17:11 NLT 25 "O Righteous Father, the world doesn't know You, but I do; and these disciples know You sent Me. John 17:25 NLT 36 And He said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will." Mark 14:36 ESV 6 Because you are his children, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts. He is the Holy Spirit. By his power we call God "Abba." Abba means Father. Gal 4:6 NIrV 18 Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us. 19 So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God's holy people. You are members of God's family. Eph. 2:18-19 NLT 16 You are our Father. Abraham and Israel are long dead. They wouldn't know us from Adam. But you're our living Father, our Redeemer, famous from eternity! Isaiah 63:16 MSG 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants."' 20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. Luke 15:18-20 ESV 1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. Eph. 5:1 ESV	Take a little walk around Jerusalem today, It won’t be very long before you hear a young boy say, “Abba” meaning father. The little boy will run, And jump into his father’s arms. Why not? He is his son! It’s really quite delightful. It’s often on the go; And from a Christian standpoint, it’s wonderful to know, That fathers and their little boys, relate in such a way, That people in the Western world so seldom see today. We’re missing out on something. The father - son lifestyle, It’s something that we ought to know. It makes Our Father smile. But what about the fathers, that you and I have known? Have they truly acted the way the Bible’s shown? For what we have experienced, is what we’ll likely be. That is our role model, most unfortunately. Some of it was very good; some of it was not; And some of it was something far better off forgot! Some fathers are fantastic. They seem to get it right. They do just what the Bible says, by day as well as night. They clearly love their children the way a father should. So when it comes to fathering, we say that they are “good”! Some men are a “disaster”, if you’ll forgive the phrase. These men abuse their children in many different ways. Some of it is physical. They leave their children sore. Others psychological, which damages far more, Than giving a few bruises. They leave their children scarred, Some should be arrested and from all children barred. The problem which arises is, these children never trust Any sort of father, they treat them with disgust. And so because of what they’ve seen, they think that every Dad, Is better off avoided, or they’ll be driven mad. So when it comes to Father God, they think that also He, Will be as bad as what they knew back in their history. But this is a perception and never is the truth. We can’t compare God’s Fatherhood with knowledge from our youth. He’s infinitely better than anything we’ve known. We cannot rate His fatherhood – not even with our own. I may be a “good father”. But only God is good! The very best that I can be, it can’t be what it should. My fatherhood is limited to hours in the day. And when I’m busy sleeping, there isn’t any way, That I can be a father. As long as I’m asleep, What sort of standard can I set? I cannot ever keep, The standards He has set out. I also have my moods; And cannot feed my children on supernatural food. There is a gulf between us. I do the best I can. But I am not Christ Jesus. I’m only just a man. Jim Strickland  Written 25th January 2012