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The Commandment with Promise
"Honor your father and mother"—which is the first
commandment with a promise— "that it may go well with you
and that you may enjoy long life on the earth."
-Ephesians 6:2-3
Honor Your Father!
by Sylvia Cochran
June marks the month when fathers may
look forward to being honored, just like the mothers before them in May. Not
surprisingly, fathers owe the celebration of their special day to a woman,
Ms. Smart, whose early life was marred by the tragedy of loosing her mother,
yet whose father, William Smart, then a single parent to six young children,
tirelessly raised the family on a rural farm in Washington state. The
example he set so impacted young Ms. Smart throughout her life, that in
1909, supposedly after hearing a Mother's Day sermon, she pursued the idea
of honoring fathers in earnest. Owing to her persistence, the first Father's
Day was celebrated on June 19, 1910 in Spokane, WA. Fourteen years later,
President Calvin Coolidge expressed his support for the institution of an
official Father's Day, but it was not until 1966 that President Lyndon
Johnson designated the 3rd Sunday in June as the day we have come to know as
Father's Day.
The Bible itself admonishes us to honor our parents so that
it
may go well with us (Ephesians 6:1-3). Yet, what exactly does this
"honoring" entail? Is it something that dad earns, that is somehow
accumulated and tallied?
No! Indeed it is a charge that we, as (grown) children, must
take serious. It is our duty to honor dad and to express this honor to him
on a daily basis. If we do so, and are consistent in our word and deed, we
will find that we prepare our own children to honor us in kind. After all,
if junior does not see us honoring dad, respecting him, and taking care of
him, why would s/he feel compelled to treat us thusly? What would be
junior's incentive? Who would be her/his role model?
Here are some hands-on, practical suggestions on how to honor
dad all year, but especially this June:
- Encourage dad habitually.
This could take the form of gifts, cards, phone calls, e-mails, outings, even flowers! Whenever possible, go the "homemade" route for an added personal touch.
- Diligently look for ways to serve the man who is a father to you.
Continue to listen to his advice respectfully rather than ignoring his
words, or taking them for granted.
- Last but not least, involve your children!
Help them to understand how to honor a dad by leading them with an example, because if you do, the odds are rather good that you will one day soon be on the receiving end of such honor yourself!
© Sylvia Cochran.
Photo by Lotus Head.
About the Author: Sylvia Cochran is a Christian poet and freelance writer. She can be contacted at SylviaCochran@hotmail.com.