Fathers! Mow that lawn! Joshua 24:15

Oh how I do love springtime! I love the warmer weather. I love the birds singing. I love the trees budding out and the flowers coming up, and many of them blooming! Not so fond of the rapid growth of the grass in my yard though. But, that’s ok, it’s still springtime! After a week or two I’ll mow the lawn.

Fast forward two weeks. Man! My yard’s a mess! Sticks and tree branches layin all over, and the grass is out of control! This yardwork is going to be a nightmare! My yard’s never going to look nice like all the neighbor’s yards! Even when I mow it I’ve got piles of grass clippings everywhere!

The problem is a lack consistent discipline. It’s a little bit like the issue of discipleship. Whether it’s newly saved Christians, who are brothers and sisters in Christ, or those we are witnessing to in hopes of leading them to Lord, or those family members in our own household, we have been called to make disciples of all nations Mt. 28:19. Why? Because we need to share the gospel, for certain, but for those who already are Christians, they need someone to come alongside them; to mentor them, care for them, uphold them in adversity, teach them…disciple them.

Isn’t it interesting how similar “disciple” is, to “disci-pline”? And discipline needn’t take such a negative connotation. Discipline is really a very good thing. The dictionary defines it as ‘an activity or exercise to develop or improve a skill, training; a branch of instruction or learning.’ So to discipline is to improve, or to continue to do correctly; such as may bring to mind the influence and relationships of a father.

Just as that lawn, if ignored and allowed to simply take care of its self, will soon grow unsightly, too long to cut with a conventional lawnmower and with sticks and debris everywhere. In short, it needs to be cared for, disciplined, mentored. Left to fend for itself, chaos ensues. So goes the condition of any individual life, family, nation, church, school…where God is removed and righteousness is left to seek its own level. Even though we intend to do the good we know to be right, there are always forces seeking to prey on the weak and isolated.
1 Peter 5:8 Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Fathers, if that yard of yours is growing out of control, and you’re complaining about it. Who’s responsible for the condition of that yard? You are. You tend to that grass regularly, keep the sticks picked up as you see them appear, clean up the trash when you see it – and you’ll have a fine looking yard that would appear to be taking care of itself. Same goes for your family. You’re given charge of the welfare of those young lives; the care, protection, provision, teaching, spiritual leadership during their most impressionable years. If you leave them to grow up on their own, Satan won’t hesitate to fill their minds with weeds and trash and sticks and rubbish. And you may find at some point that they’ve become like that lawn that just got out of hand.

Father’s, it’s a tough enough job that we have teaching, protecting our families against the lies and evil of the world, when even our best efforts may and many times do fall short. Because, at the end of the day, our children all have a free will choice to make concerning Jesus. But their best chance at an informed decision comes through their upbringing by Godly parents, guided by their own heavenly Father.

This Father’s Day, think about this: Our Nation needs Godly leadership
Our Schools need Godly students
Our Students need Godly families
Our Families need Godly Fathers
Joshua 24:15 “…But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”

In Christ,
Rick