Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old. – Proverbs 23:22
If you live long enough, you will be able to see the chronological progression of age within the community, be it church, or on the job. People are getting older. A story is told of Gladys who held herself out be younger than she really was when she was accepted to work for a shipping company. Being faithful and diligent brought her many awards and rewards over the years.
The time came for retirement and her co-worker friends all left, but sent her lovely photos of them traveling and enjoying themselves. Poor Gladys was left surrounded by the giggles, swift movement, strange lingo and rapid technology from a generation to be her grandchildren.
One day, she could take it no longer and went to the human resource manager requesting retirement. When her files were reviewed, she had to confess that she lowered her age and had to endure another three years of taunting and insults from people the likes of whom she had never experienced before. Many would readily confess that old age is really about a number.
But all is not lost.
I really think the remainder of May should be Mother’s Day continues!
Our text from Proverbs is preparation for Father’s Day and the ready respect for mothers – even in old age, sickness, when they have lost their memory, disabled – or whatever the many years have brought with it.
I have heard many sad stories of fathers, be they single, married or divorced, who never looked back at their children. I was happy to hear a young woman whose father abandoned her say that, in spite of, she has to honor him because of a commandment to so do. How noble in times like these.
Fathers, are you aware that when God said “let us make man in our own likeness and image”, you are the only one with the seed and we are the other “s” – soil? God said that it is not good that man should be alone and He created woman as a helper. The women have been the helpers for abandoned children by their fathers down through the ages.
If this world is to be better, then men would have to rise to the occasion and realize their worth and purpose for their very existence. Satan would have it for all the ills of this world to paralyze the value of man and his ability to manage what God has loaned to him.
Fathers are the king of their kingdom and those who would be helpers for the continuity of the kingdom would become queen, and the mixture of the seed and soil become loyal and royal citizens of the kingdom.
I present prayers to God that the remainder of this year of 2023 will see a surge of men fulfilling their God-given assignment for the endurance and protection of the family. I further pray that this coming Father’s Day, there will be an abundance in the tributes, well wishes and contributions in one way or another honoring fathers, even though many have fallen by the wayside of parental complacency.
As the hymn “Rise Up, O Men of God!” says, “Rise up, O saints of God! Have done with lesser things; Give heart and soul and mind and strength; To serve the King of kings. Rise up, O saints of God! The kingdom tarries long. Bring in the day of Christlike love; And end the night of wrong.
“Rise up, O men of God! The church for you doth wait! Her strength unequal to her task, rise up and make her great!
“Lift high the cross of Christ! Tread where his feet have trod. Led onward by the Son of Man; Rise up, O saints of God!”
As brothers of the son of man, rise up, O men of God.
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