Too often dad's get the short end of the stick. Society undervalues them, entertainment ridicules them, and how many father's Day sermons have you heard about what dad could do better? But maybe the reason we pick on dad's so much is because we're afraid to lose them. One of those "those who love you the most tease you the most" moments. Deep down we know that a father is so key, so necessary. Dads aren't a commodity we can replace no matter how much the world tells us that fathers aren't worthy.
So we try to mask our fear of losing dads behind jokes and self-improvement speeches. We push fathers to perfection because anything less terrifies us.
But maybe we do just undervalue dads. maybe we've lost sight of just how important fathers are to us. See, God is our Father. Father, not mother but Father. Do women reflect God's character and bear His image? Yes. But God didn't choose a mother-child relationship to explain Himself to us, He chose a Father-child relationship and a Groom-bride relationship with the church. Both roles that early dads get to fill.
When we mock fatherhood, maybe it's a simple confusion about just how important fathers truly are. We see our earthly dads and tease them but lose sight of how Heavenly Father and His relationship with us.
I don't know the answer, but here's what I do know. Father's are a gift from God. A gift so important that God Himself uses it to define our relationship to Him. Don't waste it. Dads need to hear that their work made a difference.
Here's to all fathers everywhere - both earthly and Heavenly.