By Craig Evans
I have a good father; I call him Pop, and he is a blessing. The apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:4, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” It doesn’t take long to look around and see all the anger, lack of discipline, Bible illiteracy, and children who don’t know God to see that we need fathers to step up to God’s mandate.
Paul also tells us in Ephesians 6:2, “Honor your father…”. I want to honor my Pop for these reasons:
He is a Christian. He was baptized for remission of sins, and desperately loved the Lord. He is not perfect, but forgiven. I have seen him respond to the invitation to confess sin. He was quick to say, “I am wrong, I am sorry, and I love you.” I have always respected him for his transparency.
He disciplined me. I remembering memorizing and becoming a living example of Proverbs 23:13 which states, “Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die.” He did not spare the rod, and I did not die.
He encourages me. Pop does a mean “Tarzan yell”. At my ballgames I would hear him let out that yell when I did something good. It was his way of saying “That’s my boy.” A couple of years ago one of my preaching mentors was killed. The next morning when I looked out in the audience Pop was there. He made the two-hour trip to support me even though he was not physically well. When I need him, he is there.
He is good to people. Pop took me along with him to visit others, take people food, help people move, sing with him at funerals, and serve other people in so many ways.
He has persevered. Through his life he has endured wounding in war, disability, divorce, and cancer, yet he is still faithful. He lives out “be thou faithful unto death…” Revelation 2:10.
He laughs and smiles. He has a contagious laugh and a smile that blesses him and those around him. His joyful heart truly is good medicine (Proverbs 17:22).
He believes in prayer. Several years ago when I was in college and struggling, I received a letter from him telling me that he loved me and was proud of me. He told me that whatever profession that I chose he would support me, but he said he was glad that I was considering ministry and that he had been praying that I would become a preacher all of my life. There are very few times when he and I talk that he doesn’t ask me to pray for him and others, and also lets me know he is praying for me.
He loves the Bible. He is a daily Bible reader, and I have seen him read his Bible throughout my childhood even now in adulthood. If I were to go to his house now, his Bible and Bible class book would be open on his kitchen table.
With all the fathers in the world, I am glad that the Lord saw fit to give me Pop. A couple of years ago, I chose to write a letter to tell Pop how much I love him and why I love him. Pop has it framed and on the wall. I have never regretted telling Pop how much I loved him in writing. So many times we wait until a funeral to say good things about people who we love. Make the time to write a note to your father or someone who taught you what it means to be a father. It will bless you and them greatly. It will be the greatest Father’s Day gift they have ever received.
