Even though Father’s Day is over, the wisdom of our fathers can bring us knowledge every day. It does not need to be a special day to appreciate the wisdom of our father.
You may remember Lee Iacocca from his famous statement, “If you can find a better car, but it” or from the great turnaround of the Chrysler Corporation in the 1980s.
Lee Iacocca had a well-known career in the auto industry. While he may be best known for the Chrysler turnaround to one of the biggest car companies of the 1980s, he is also known for his development in the Ford Mustang. Over the course of his career in the auto industry, his net worth has grown to over $100 million.
Even with great business success and great wealth, he never forgot the wisdom his father gave him concerning greed: “Be careful about money. When you have five thousand, you’ll want ten. And when you have ten, you’ll want twenty.” Lee Iacocca wrote, “He was right. No matter what you have, it’s never enough.” (Iacocca, Lee Iacocca, 1986, p.155)
When I read this I was reminded of the words of Jesus in Luke 12.15, ““Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
As Christians, we understand the things we see in this world are temporary and the things we do not see are eternal (2 Corinthians 4.18). The world, and Satan, has a way to tempt us with the things that we see, feel, and enjoy (1 John 2.15-17) but we must remember that life is not in earthly possessions. Life is in Christ. (John 14.6)
In the October 2018 issue of Mature Living, Zig Ziglar is quoted as saying, “For 24 years of my adult life, by choice, I weighed well over 200 pounds. I say ‘by choice’ because I have never accidentally eaten anything. I mean, it’s always been deliberate. And when I choose to eat too much today, I have chosen to weigh too much tomorrow.”
Our choices have consequences. When we make the choice, we also deal with the consequences of those decisions. Whether it is food, our faith, our work, or our faith, choices drive our life in various directions.
What choices have you made that influenced your life in a large way?
Have you considered the choices of the Bible and how they affect your life?
The apostles made the choice to follow Jesus’ word and stay in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit came upon them. (Acts 1.8) As a result, the Day of Pentecost came upon them and over 3,000 people were added to the church (Acts 2.47).
God gave His only Son so the world could have the opportunity for everlasting life (John 3.16-17). The choice of God to have His Son bear the sins of the world (Isaiah 53.4,5,10) gave each of us hope for the future. Because of God gave His Son to die for our sins, we can live with God forever. (Ephesians 2.14)
The choice of Christ to suffer death on the cross despite the pain, agony, and humiliation (Matthew 26.39,42,44). He knew what the choice would be to become the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world. (John 1.29) As a result, Christ tasted death for everyone (Hebrews 2.9) so we could live with Christ as He brought many sons to glory. (Hebrews 2.10).
The great choices of the Bible influence our lives today. They have brought to our lives the salvation of the gospel, God’s saving grace, and His everlasting mercy.
Let’s say for a moment, you are one of the best golfers in the world.
Now imagine that you have an opportunity to win the one major tournament you have been waiting to win. This tournament has been your professional desire. It is this tournament where you have a record six runners up finishes, but this year you have a good chance of winning. But there is a problem.
The day of the tournament, your daughter has a high school graduation.
What would you choose?
Phil Mickelson faced this problem in 2017. June 15th was drawing closer and he had to make a choice. He had been runner-up six times at the U.S. Open. In 2017 Phil Mickelson had a great opportunity to win the U.S. Open, but at the same time of the tournament, his daughter would give the commencement speech at the senior class president.
What would you choose?
Would you choose the chance of winning, or a family event?
Mr. Mickelson withdrew from the tournament and Robert Diaz would take his place. Two weeks before the U.S. Open, Phil Mickelson spoke about the scheduling conflict and offered these comments,
“It’s a tournament that I want to win the most, the only way to win is if you play and have a chance. But this is one of those moments where you look back on life and you just don’t want to miss it. I’ll be really glad that I was there and present.”
Life comes with hard decisions. Phil Mickelson choose family over profession.
Would you do the same?
As fathers, our children are watching our every move.
As David is drawing near death, he speaks words to his son Solomon, challenging him as a man, as a ruler, and as David’s son. His words, as a father and a King, challenge Solomon to carry on the work that is being done, so Solomon’s family will have a legacy on the throne given to David by God.
“When David’s time to die drew near, he commanded Solomon his son, saying, “I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn, that the LORD may establish his word that he spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’” (1 Kings 2:1-4)
Notice from the text, David tells Solomon to do three things:
Act Responsibly – Solomon is to be strong, show himself to be a man and keep the charge of the Lord. David wants Solomon to be a powerful leader of the people and take the male responsibility of being King.
Walk with God – David knew what it was like to walk with God. David had walked with God, and he knew the blessings of someone committed to God.
Hear David’s Commands – I wonder, if later, Solomon reflected on David’s words when he wrote Proverbs 1.8-9.
Fathers, are we challenging (charging) our children like David did Solomon?
