Father’s Day Message 22nd June’08

Father’s Day Message 22^nd June’08

On Father’s day, we were privileged at CDC to have brother Soo Ewe Jin give the Father’s Day Message.

Starting off, brother Soo shared with us how he was once given an opportunity few men had, which was to be a full-time father. And his years as a full-time father was indeed his most precious. All his fame and success in his career was nothing compared to that!

Basically, to understand the role of a father, one must first know the role of a husband. God comes first, family comes second, and everything else comes after. The main role of a father is to pass on the spiritual baton. No two children are alike, and it is the sole mission of parents to communicate the real meaning of our faith to our children. It is so important for fathers to train their children. It is they who should set the rules of the house and a father should not leave his responsibilities to others.

Ephesians 6:4 says, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger but train them up. And in the Proverbs, it is written, train a child in the way he should go and in the end, he will not turn from it. Teaching also is not just made up of formal lessons. Quite often, genuine conversation is needed to guide, and help children make decisions. Mothers should fully cooperate with their husbands in setting the rules of the home. Ultimately, the authority of the father goes back to the Fatherhood of God. All authority from heaven will flow down to the submissive father through Jesus!

Now giving a special message to children, brother Soo exhorted them: tell the truth, and obey your parents. Too often in homes, children have to pay too heavy a price for telling the truth. There must be a sense of forgiveness. Fathers are not always perfect, not always right. However, we need to obey them because it is God’s command unless their instruction goes against God’s law. And God promises that if we obey, we will be blessed.

As fathers, it is so important for us to live out our faith, to walk our talk. Are we patient? Do we love others? How is our attitude towards money? We need to be like the Lord who is slow to anger and abounding in love. Finally, we should make it our ambition to be a model father by exhibiting the qualities of love described in 1 Corinthians 13. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It not rude, it is not self-seeking. It does not easily anger, it keeps no records of wrong. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with truth. Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

God bless,

Jason