This Father’s Day I want to acknowledge my father, Jim Idleman, who died of a heart attack at age 54. He inspired me more than he could have known. I’ll be forever grateful for the experiences we shared, the lessons I learned, and the man I became as a result of the time we spent together.
As I’ve said before, I was always captivated by the stories that my grandfather and father told about life on the farm in Oklahoma in the early and mid 1900s. The images that I’ve held are not those of pleasant surroundings or ideal conditions; they are impressions of twelve-hour days spent working the land, dust storms that could devastate a crop, blistered and sunburned skin, and poverty unlike most Americans know today. Life, in general, was harder then, but interestingly enough, families seemed stronger—it was a time when the roots of commitment, integrity, and honesty ran deep. A handshake and a man’s word were generally good enough. Today, it seems like the opposite it true:
· We build our career and neglect our marriage.
· Corporate executives are praised and family men frowned upon.
· We’ve increased our wealth, but decreased our values.
· We take better care of our cars than our bodies.
· We search the heavens for answers and turn from the One who created them.
· Pride is considered an asset and humility a liability.
· We know more about our favorite athletes than our wives and our children.
· We’d rather be seen leaving a bar than leaving a church.
· Televisions break from over-use while Bibles become dusty.
· We raise our hands and praise our favorite team, yet appear handcuffed in church.
· Daily Bible reading is called fanatical while working twelve hours a day is called success.
Clearly, we’ve lost our moral compass. Ironically, the strength of the nation will depend on the stability of the family. Noted author and speaker, Josh McDowell, once stated that the reason so many young people are losing ground in the area of spiritual truth is because their parents are not involved in teaching them in word or action. He added, “One of the most common questions I get is, ‘How could we live for Christ, when we don’t want the Christ that our parents have?’” Dads, that should force us all to ask, “Who am I influencing, and who’s influencing me?” When the destruction of the family is coming from within the same walls that were designed to protect it, it’s time for change. The burden of responsibility rests directly on our shoulders—period!
You may be saying, “Where is this going?” Straight to the point: without Jesus Christ truly leading us; and thus our families, all efforts will be in vain. It’s been said that sin takes us farther than we want to go, costs us more than we want to pay, and keeps us longer than we want to stay. I couldn’t agree more. Many men go through life pursuing dreams that never come true, chasing things that can never be caught, and living with past pains that never heal. Accepting a new life in Christ changes that. II Corinthians 5:17 states: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” Your past is forgiven, your present secure and your future certain.
This Father’s Day, stop playing games—and start leading your family. Take that step now and fully commit your life to Christ. You’ll never regret that decision.