Let me be a good father that others might

Let me be a good father that others might

“As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.”          — Psalms 17:15 KJV

By Bobby R. Henry, Sr.

Happy Father’s Day

What is so difficult about living your life as an example for others to respect? As this relates to men, I will use an example to mean a real MAN. I think that the hardest part about living as a real man is letting go of the fear of what others may say about you.

Understanding that a man has to go through many things to acquire the knowledge that he needs to become that man; it requires wisdom and instructions.

To be able to use discretion as a working tool to help reach maturity is a start. By listening to your loving and caring parents and using their instructions as stepping stones, you will create a path of fewer heartaches.

Since Father’s Day is near, I want to focus in on the fathers, so please excuse me while my attention and directions are towards them and me.

I’m sure that our fathers made mistakes and at times did not appear to know everything that we wanted them to.

When I was 10-years-old, I remember seeing my father on his knees praying and it startled me. I thought praying was only for church. I asked him what was he doing and he told me he was praying. “For what?” I asked and he said, “us.” I never thought any more about that until I began to write this piece several years ago.

Understanding that being a man means that we have to care about others puts manhood into a whole different arena. We say that we accept our responsibilities and we try to show that we do; but until we see face-to-face and stand stripped of our pride before others for the sake of families, we don’t know what caring about others means.

Even though my father has always been a God-fearing man, he was not always perfect-but who is?

Learning to be a man requires trusting in what you can’t see. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5 KJV

I saw my father give up his understanding and lean on God. I saw this with my own eyes as it began to happen. Did I believe it at first? No. But when I saw my father deliver a sermon that he had studied for, prepared and written, I then started paying closer attention to him.

My father has always been his own man, so I thought. I now know why he was and is able to do and become what he is.

Yes, his roads were not always straight, his paths were crooked at times and they were dark to those who could not see the light; but he has been able to travel them free from harm and any demons that may jump from the dark because he trusts in God.

I do believe because my earthly teacher, my daddy, has shown me that if we learn to lean on God no matter the circumstances or the hour, we can make a difference.

We can start by shining the light in our families by being the example we want our children to follow. This example must come through the instructions and wisdom of fearing God.

None of this will be of any good if it is not real. How can you come to God holding something in one hand while the other is hiding behind your back? Do you think that God can’t see what you are hiding?

This is not such an arduous task if what you do is not contradictory to what you profess to be.

Aside from putting it all out there for others to see and not being committed to what you acknowledge to be about, there is hardly any room for failure, especially if you are guided by the Good Shepherd.

The trials are going to come regardless, but you can be better equipped to live through them and be better for it.

I’ve learned that my daddy is the immediate example to what my Heavenly Father is using for me to follow to get to Him. And my daddy told me that he is trying to emulate Jesus, who is the Son of God. Therefore, if the Son of God is like his Father and my father is trying to be like the Son, then to complete the natural order, I should continue the example for my sons and daughter.

This will not come without trials and tribulations, which I surmise to be nothing more than tests and these tests will lead to my testimony.

Be the father that you have been called to be and let us keep the cycle of fatherhood going. Happy Father’s Day to all!

“CHILDREN’S CHILDREN ARE THE CROWN OF OLD MEN; AND THE GLORY OF CHILDREN ARE THEIR FATHERS.” Proverbs 17:6 (ASV)