Encouragement for Fathers on Father’s Day

It’s not a job given to them by the government or the culture—it’s a responsibility given to them by God.

In my book on parenting, Will They Stand, I shared about my own father, a godly man who left a tremendous legacy. I thought I would share an excerpt from that book to encourage dads to consider what their children will remember after they are gone (my own father passed away in 1995):

Throughout my childhood and teenage years, two aspects of Dad’s life made impressions on me more than all the others. First, he hated compromise. He would never knowingly compromise the Word of God, and he took the scriptural warnings about compromise, purity of doctrine, and contending for the faith very seriously. After all, he had saturated himself in the Word of God, so he knew what it taught.

Second, he obeyed the pointed command made in 1 Peter 3:13–15:

Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.

Okay, in all honesty, he sometimes forgot about the “gentleness” part (none of us Hams will ever claim he was perfect!), but he had the rest of the passage down firm. He would stand up strongly for what he believed was true. He was a leader who listened to advice, but he was never intimidated by people who weren’t willing to suffer in order to stay true to the Word of God. He was a man of great conviction with a deep passion for the Word of God. He was an uncompromising witness and defender of the gospel. God used him to lay a rock-solid foundation for our family and prepare us not only for this present life—but also for an eternity with our Creator. I cannot fathom the value of this inheritance which he left me. There is no doubt in my mind that the legacy of my father and mother, together with the Lord’s calling on my life, is the reason I came to be in the ministry of Answers in Genesis—now reaching millions of people around the world. And I have to add that the ministry would not be where it is today without the sacrificial dedication of my godly wife, Mally (and Nannan to 17 [+1 on the way at the time of writing] grandkids). That’s a book in itself.

Who would have guessed that God would use a simple man like my father to shape our family in such powerful ways?

Who would have guessed that God would use a simple man like my father to shape our family in such powerful ways? Who could have speculated that through the faithful obedience of a boy from Thursday Island and the humble devotion of my dear late mother, God would choose to make such an impact on the world? They were simple vessels that served a mighty God. As their child and His, I will be eternally thankful to the One who loaned them to me, who guided them with His Word, and who empowered them with His Spirit to raise a godly family in an ungodly world. “He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.” (1 Timothy 6:15–16).

I hope you are encouraged this Father’s Day to boldly stand on God’s Word so your children (and a watching world) can see and glorify God for your faithfulness.

To read the rest of Will They Stand, visit AnswersBookstore.com.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,
Ken

This item was written with the assistance of AiG’s research team.