It is Father's Day June 19,2016 and I have just left morning service at St Stephens Baptist Church. As usual I have received a blessing from the sermon given by the Rev Kevin W. Cosby. It resonated with me and I wanted to communicate some of it to anyone who may at some point in time read this blog. The bible scripture that was used for the message was Mark 9: 14-15.
It deals with Jesus coming down from the mountain and finding religious scholars cross examining the disciples that had been left below in the valley. There was a man had brought his son who was afflicted with perhaps epilepsy and mental disease to Jesus to be healed. Jesus wasn't there and the disciples tried but could not heal him. The scholars tried to use this against Jesus. Jesus told the man, if he believed in him that all things were possible. The man said he believed but he was not perfect and there was still some doubt. Jesus cured the boy of the evil spirit and also provided that he enter him no more. The disciples asked Jesus why they couldn't heal the boy. Jesus said that "This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting." They should have prayed and shown their faith in Jesus, but they tried to do it on their own.
This man was the boys father and his dad. "To be a father is an act of Nature. To be a dad is an act of Nurture. A father is biological and a dad is emotional." Yes the man was the boy's biological father caused by an act of nature, but he had also nurtured the boy as he was growing up and was emotional tied to his suffering. He was always there for him when needed. "While fathers pay the bills, dads give direction and council to their children. And while fatherhood can be unintentional, being a good dad is always intentional."
A paternity test may tell someone "you are the father" only your actions will tell if you are the dad.
Dads Direct their child to God. The man had a relationship with God and took his child to Jesus. He wanted him to also have a relationship with God. Dad's of today should do the same and help to provide a strong spiritual foundation for their children.
Dads Actively stay involved in their child's life. The man did not send his son to Jesus. He took him. He did not abdicate his responsibility or delegate it to someone else. He knew about his son and his illness. Dad's today should know about their children, their friends, likes, how they are doing in school, their teachers, and all aspects of their children's lives. Take them places and participate in things do, like sports,singing, dance, etc.
Dads Devote themselves to their child in crisis. The son had been suffering with his demons since he was a child. The father had been there for him and never gave up believe that one day he would be cured. When your child is in trouble, and they all will face circumstances, a dad keeps the faith and goes not give up on their child.
Our society is full of fathers and yet our children are floundering. Men making children either intentionally or unintentionally. But at the end of the day will they be dads? There are institutions in our world that can supplement the home, but they cannot be a substitute for the home. Fathers can be forced to pay child support but what we need is for them to become dads and live up to the responsibilities of parenting. My father died when I was seven. Yet my mother step in to become both by mom and dad. She meet all the criteria. I hope I have done some justice to Rev. message: "But Are You The Dad?"
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