Joel 1:1-3, “The word of the Lord that came to Joel, the son of Pethuel: Hear this, you elders; give ear, all inhabitants of the land! Has such a thing happened in your days, or in the days of your fathers? Tell your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children to another generation.”
The Bible commands us, regardless if you recognize “Father’s Day or not, to “Honor thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise. That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.” (Ephesians 6:2-3). I’m thankful for my father and all the other father figures that I have fond memories of. My own father, the late Bishop Albert Jones, He may be gone but never forgotten. I have so many fond memories of my father; who’s firmness, love, and presence has made an indelible mark on my life and how I see myself as a man, son, husband, father, and servant leader.
You often hear those whose father are no longer living, say how much they miss them and how they’ll never forget their father’s presence in their life. Thank God for the memories of countless fathers who stayed the course and was active in the life of the family. If there ever was a time that fathers need to be active and present in the family, that time is now! We can’t afford to have the “papa was a rolling stone” situation; we need fathers who will be the corner stone (the foundation) of the family.
Remember
In Joel Chapter 2, the prophet Joel was charged to prophesy and awaken Judah to the consequences of their sins, the recent devastation of the land by locusts and drought. It awakened them to the fact that if the people were to be delivered from their calamities, they must repent of their sins and return to the Lord. Remember just like, Prophet Joel reminded the people in verse 2, as fathers we need to remember that if it had not been for the Lord, some of us wouldn’t even be here. Some of us need to take a quick flash back to remember from whence we came. The song says, “I’ve had many tears and sorrows, I’ve had questions for tomorrow, there’s been times I didn’t know right from wrong. But in every situation, God gave me blessed consolation, that my trials come to only make me strong. I thank God for the mountains and I thank Him for the valleys, I thank Him for the storms He brought me through. For if I’d never had a problem, I wouldn’t know God could solve them, I’d never know what faith in God could do. Through it all, through it all, I’ve learned to depend upon His word.”
Repent
In Joel Chapter 2, the Lord spoke through the prophet Joel and told the people, (verses 12-13) “therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.” As fathers we must come before God as prophet and priest and get things right with God. If we know we are out of fellowship and aloof from God because of sin (not issues) we must be man enough to admit it and then quit it! You’ll never get right with God, if you are not willing to admit it. That’s what a real father will do, he’ll admit his sin and short comings to God, and then be man enough to come to his family and say forgive me for being a fool when I should have been a father! That’s why so many young males don’t understand that just because you’re a baby-daddy don’t make you a real father. You got to grow up and take responsibility. You can’t be a father when you value Jordans more than you do a job. You value tattoos and saggy pants more than you do commitment and character. Any boy can make a baby, but it takes a father to raise a family. As a father, I must repent (change), if I’m going to matter.
Resolve
One of the qualities every father should possess is that of decisiveness. Having the resolve to make a decision. In Joel 2:17, “Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?” As a father that matters, I realize that I must resolve to take my place as a priest in my home. As a priest of my home, I resolve to be a man of prayer and conviction. Not only a priest, but I must resolve to be a prophet to my family. That means, I must resolve to speak prophetically (not pathetic) over my home. I realize that death and life is in the power of the tongue and I resolve to speak life to my children. I resolve to speak life to my spouse. I know other folks may be cussing and fussing. I know other kids may be rude and disrespectful. I know other families may not honor and fear the Lord. Nevertheless, because I matter as a father, I must resolve to speak prophetically to my family, and declare like Joshua, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” We need fathers who have resolve and can stand for something and not fall for everything. As fathers that matter, you are willing to resolve to take responsibility for self, for your wife, and the children. Regardless of what the media says about the high percentage of absentee fathers, and fathers not being in the home; we need fathers not just on the third Sunday of June, but every day to resolve and testify that as a father, “I matter.” Let the record reflect that because you matter as a father, you will resolve to be strong, decisive and consistent, not just today, but every day.
Rejoice
As a father, when you remember, repent, and resolve to do all that God has created you to be, you’ll have a reason to Rejoice. That’s what The Lord told the people in Joel chapter 2, (verses 21-29) “Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things.” You got a reason to rejoice! God has been good to you. If it had not been for the Lord, where would we be today. Thank God for forgiving me, delivering me, saving me, baptizing me, sanctifying me, and keeping me! Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh what He’s done for me, I’ll never shall forget what the Lord has done for me! Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say Rejoice! Kept me from danger seen and unseen. He kept my enemies away, let the sun shine through a cloudy day. Oh, He rocked me in the cradle of His Arms, when He knew I’d been battered and torn. Rejoice that God has blessed you to be a father. One who protects and provides for his family. Rejoice in the fact that you matter to God, you matter to your family, you matter to your community. Rejoice that because you matter, you’re still here. That sickness didn’t take you out. Rejoice that because you matter, the trials, the test, the worry, the divorce, the disease, that illness, that situation, those vicissitudes didn’t cause you to lose your mind. You’re still here…and it’s only by the grace and mercy of God!