A Challenge for Dads This Father's Day

By Taylor Sullivan, Small Groups Minister

Father’s Day is upon us yet again. It is a time for us all to celebrate fathers and all they do. Many fathers work hard each day to provide for their families, then come home to continue serving as fathers to their children and husbands to their wives. On top of that, fathers often help keep the house in order by cleaning, cooking, playing with their children, mowing the lawn, or, if you live in Wisconsin, shoveling the driveway. The list can go on and on. Like mothers, being a father can sometimes feel like the work never ends. So Father’s Day is a day that we celebrate fathers and all they do.

So how do we celebrate a day dedicated to fathers? The National Retail Federation surveys people every year about how people plan to celebrate certain holidays, and the surveys show that some of the top ways people celebrate fathers are by having some sort of food outing like grilling, brunch, or another meal. Another way people celebrate is by giving a gift of some kind, like clothing, which may include the dreaded socks gift. Finally, people often celebrate by giving a gift card to their father’s favorite place, like Bass Pro Shop, but more likely Fleet Farm. I am not here to say we should stop a wonderful tradition like this, and I am certainly not trying to diminish the importance of fathers in the lives of their families. What I do want to do is challenge fathers this year and hopefully deepen the tradition of Father’s Day.

Matthew 7:9-11 says, “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”

This led me down a path of thinking about Father’s Day itself. The way we often celebrate Father’s Day is loving and generous. There is nothing wrong with giving your father or husband a gift card, taking him out to eat, or buying him something he will enjoy. Those can be wonderful ways to show love and appreciation. But it led me to question how we, as Christian fathers, can reclaim Father’s Day to help us point our families to our true Father in heaven. How can we emulate God on a day that celebrates us?

This is where the words of Jesus start ringing in my head. Earthly fathers, even while living in a sinful state, still know how to give good gifts to their children. How much more does our Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him?

This led me to think about all of the celebratory days in Scripture where God’s people worship Him for all He has done for them. We see Old Testament celebrations like the Day of Atonement, the Festival of Tabernacles, and the Passover. In the church year, Christians celebrate days like Christmas, Good Friday, Easter, and Pentecost. All of these days have something in common. They are celebrations for all that God has done for us.

Do you see any parallels between these days and Father’s Day yet?

Now, most of the fathers in our lives have not died for our sins, risen from the dead, or taken us out of captivity. That is the role of God alone by His grace. But when we zoom out a bit, we see that Father’s Day is also a celebration for all that our earthly fathers have done for us. That is the basic idea behind Father’s Day. We thank fathers for their love, work, sacrifice, care, and provision.

But what does God do on the days set aside to glorify and thank Him? Does He sit back in His recliner and crack open a beer? Does God sit outside getting waited on by His family? No. God continues to bless His people with gifts from above.

The Passover was a day when the Jewish people celebrated the freedom that God secured for them from slavery in Egypt. They celebrated it every year. Even when God sent His only Son, Jesus, the day was still celebrated. But on Good Friday, while they were celebrating the Passover again, God gave us the most important gift we could ever receive. His Son was given up to die on a cross to purchase our salvation. On a day when His people remembered all that God had done for them, God continued to give.

No beer. No brats. No reclining chair. No watching the baseball game while everyone else waits on Him. God continued to give.

So here is my challenge to fathers, husbands, father figures, and anyone who takes on the role of father:

First, accept the love, gifts, and celebrations that Father’s Day brings to you. Receive them with joy and gratitude. Let your family honor you. Let them thank you. Let them love you. That is not wrong. In fact, it is good.

Second, do not stop giving, even on a day that has traditionally been about you taking a step back and taking a break from it all. I am not saying that Father’s Day should become one more burden placed on tired fathers. What I am saying is that the love you receive on Father’s Day can remind you of the Father who first loved you and continues to give good gifts to you.

So instead of only receiving love, also look for ways to give love. 

Be reminded that one of the greatest joys of your life is being a father and a husband. And that joy could only be given to you because God has placed people in your life who make you a father. Your children. Your wife. Your stepchildren. A child you mentor. A family member you help raise. Someone who looks to you for fatherly care. Whatever that may look like in your life, fatherhood is not something you gave yourself. It is a gift that came through the people God has placed around you.

So think about them. What does your family want? What have you heard them say they want? What do you know would bring them joy? It may be a gift. It may be an experience. It may be taking them somewhere they love. It may be writing a note to your children. It may be praying with your wife. It may be speaking a blessing over your family. It may be putting your phone away and being fully present. It may even be asking for forgiveness where you have been harsh, impatient, or absent.

My challenge to you is to lavish your family with love and gifts because our Father in heaven continues to bless us with gifts, even on the days we set aside to celebrate Him. As a father, do not make this day only about you. Celebrate your day by celebrating the people who have helped make you a father.

Because the best way to reclaim Father’s Day may not be to reject the gifts, the food, the gift cards, or even the socks. The best way may be to receive those things with thanksgiving, then turn around and reflect the generous heart of your Father in heaven.