Don’t Forget Your Father This Father’s Day

Each year families honor fathers on Father’s Day. This is a good tradition, and fathers should be honored. But we should also honor our Heavenly Father.

On June 18 fathers will be honored in more than 50 countries around the world. They may receive cards, gifts and nice meals as families show their respect, love and appreciation for their family patriarch. Traditionally, fathers do many things that deserve appreciation and honor. Here are some of those things:

• They are half of the process that brings children into this world.
• They provide for their household.
• They teach, instruct and encourage their children.
• They lovingly correct their children when they do wrong.

In general, a good father wants what’s best for his family and a bright future for his children.

Father’s Day is an opportunity for families to spend time with the patriarch of the family and show their love and appreciation for all that he does. Of course, honor should be given to fathers at all times, not just on a particular day (Exodus 20:12).

God, our Father

We should also remember our spiritual Father (Malachi 2:10). Will He be in your mind this Father’s Day?

Consider what God the Father does for us:

• He gives life to all mankind (Genesis 1:26-27).

• He provides for His children (Matthew 6:25-34; 7:11; Philippians 4:19).
• He teaches, instructs and encourages us (Joshua 1:9; Psalms 32:8; 71:17; Isaiah 2:3).
• He lovingly corrects us when we do wrong (Hebrews 12:6-7).

But He also does things our physical fathers can’t do:

• He reveals His way of life to us through His Word (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Physical fathers should teach God’s way to their children.
• He forgives our sins (Psalm 103:12; 1 John 1:9). Of course, physical fathers should also forgive on a human level.
• He offers us eternal life if we accept His calling by repenting and striving to live His way (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:23). Physical fathers should teach children to live in this way that leads to eternal life.

When we stop to think about it, both our physical fathers and God deserve special recognition on this day. Here are two ideas for honoring our Heavenly Father on Father’s Day:

• Talk to Him in prayer and give thanks for all He has done.
• Spend extra time in Bible study to learn more about Him.

Let’s be sure not to forget our spiritual Father on Father’s Day.

To learn more about God as our Father and our relationship with Him as His children, read our article “God as a Father.”