There is a generation that curses its
father, and does not bless its mother.
Proverbs 30:11 NKJV
This morning, being Father's Day, my chaplain gave an important message about fatherhood...
father, and does not bless its mother.
Proverbs 30:11 NKJV
This morning, being Father's Day, my chaplain gave an important message about fatherhood...
In his sermon he explained how those who have sons or daughters have been given the responsibility to be a priest, prophet and king over his household as he rules in mercy, and in love. It was a timely and necessary message which gave clarity to us on what our God-given roles should be if we have children, and if we are to raise them to honor the Lord and to respect life.
In addition, he went on to say that even though we're incarcerated and more than likely not been good role models to our kids, it's never too late to start on the right path. And I know this was a good point because many of these men have children. Some have more than one. And most of them will eventually get out of here to rejoin their families.
However, after my chaplain was done speaking, there was still time remaining. So he asked me to share whatever was on my heart. I therefore spoke about the children of Israel. How that, because of their rebellion and hardness of heart, they ultimately brought much suffering upon themselves to include more than 400 years as slaves living in captivity under the ruthless rulership of the Pharaohs. But, mercifully, God heard their cries and delivered them through the hand of Moses, the man He raised up for the occasion.
I then asked the congregation to read along with me from Exodus 3:7-10. Where, in this passage, I explained, the Lord saw the affliction of His people, and He responded. Yet there was the realization, too, that their suffering was self-inflicted. Sin had run its course. "And such has been the case with us," I said. "We're in prison because of the very same thing - sin - and we've no one to blame but ourselves," I declared. It's a truism, I told the men, that the sooner we admit this, the better we'll be.
I was very blunt, and I think this surprised a lot of them. But, with a gentle voice, I began to discuss my own bad choices. I then went on to tie this to Father's Day. I described some of my own childhood, and how kind and loving my parents were. I said that I was the hope of my Mom and Dad, because, when they adopted me at birth, they had already been childless for many years. So I was a dream come true. Finally, I son! Yet now I live with regret for causing my father untold heartache, disappointment and grief. My mother, fortunately, never saw me come to prison as she died when I was fourteen. Still she knew me as an oftentimes ungrateful and disobedient child, and this hurt her.
Nevertheless, I went on to say to my fellow prisoners, that since all of us had fathers - some who were good at parenting and some who were not - it is still our responsibility to love them. And to forgive our dads if there were irresponsible, uncaring, absent from our lives, or abusive. Or if they were drunkards or drug addicts, as some of them were.
"We're to forgive them for their failures as fathers," I said. "Just as Christ has forgiven us for our sins, we must forgive and forget," I stated, " if we're to move on with our lives."
However, my main theme this morning was personal responsibility. So I asked the men to be honest. I said that even if we had dads who were bad, we're the ones who committed whatever crimes that brought us here. And if some of us were blessed with good fathers, we're therefore guilty of destroying the hopes and dreams they had for us. But, whatever the case may be, all we have to do is repent and ask God to forgive us for our sins, and to ask Him for another chance to make things right. "Through Christ," I said, "our lives could be made anew, and from this very moment."
Then, when I was finished, there was total silence. But this was a good thing because I knew that each man was pondering what was said. And while some of them may have been taken aback by my forthrightness and my honesty to confess my own failures, I believe they understood that I had spoken the truth.
Moreover, I concluded by again stating that it was time for repentance. Likewise it was time to love our fathers, and to love our own sons and daughters more than ever if we happen to be fathers. "After all," I said, "we serve a God of hope." In addition, He is our heavenly Father who knows what's "best" for each of us. They understood this as well.
D.B.
In addition, he went on to say that even though we're incarcerated and more than likely not been good role models to our kids, it's never too late to start on the right path. And I know this was a good point because many of these men have children. Some have more than one. And most of them will eventually get out of here to rejoin their families.
However, after my chaplain was done speaking, there was still time remaining. So he asked me to share whatever was on my heart. I therefore spoke about the children of Israel. How that, because of their rebellion and hardness of heart, they ultimately brought much suffering upon themselves to include more than 400 years as slaves living in captivity under the ruthless rulership of the Pharaohs. But, mercifully, God heard their cries and delivered them through the hand of Moses, the man He raised up for the occasion.
I then asked the congregation to read along with me from Exodus 3:7-10. Where, in this passage, I explained, the Lord saw the affliction of His people, and He responded. Yet there was the realization, too, that their suffering was self-inflicted. Sin had run its course. "And such has been the case with us," I said. "We're in prison because of the very same thing - sin - and we've no one to blame but ourselves," I declared. It's a truism, I told the men, that the sooner we admit this, the better we'll be.
I was very blunt, and I think this surprised a lot of them. But, with a gentle voice, I began to discuss my own bad choices. I then went on to tie this to Father's Day. I described some of my own childhood, and how kind and loving my parents were. I said that I was the hope of my Mom and Dad, because, when they adopted me at birth, they had already been childless for many years. So I was a dream come true. Finally, I son! Yet now I live with regret for causing my father untold heartache, disappointment and grief. My mother, fortunately, never saw me come to prison as she died when I was fourteen. Still she knew me as an oftentimes ungrateful and disobedient child, and this hurt her.
Nevertheless, I went on to say to my fellow prisoners, that since all of us had fathers - some who were good at parenting and some who were not - it is still our responsibility to love them. And to forgive our dads if there were irresponsible, uncaring, absent from our lives, or abusive. Or if they were drunkards or drug addicts, as some of them were.
"We're to forgive them for their failures as fathers," I said. "Just as Christ has forgiven us for our sins, we must forgive and forget," I stated, " if we're to move on with our lives."
However, my main theme this morning was personal responsibility. So I asked the men to be honest. I said that even if we had dads who were bad, we're the ones who committed whatever crimes that brought us here. And if some of us were blessed with good fathers, we're therefore guilty of destroying the hopes and dreams they had for us. But, whatever the case may be, all we have to do is repent and ask God to forgive us for our sins, and to ask Him for another chance to make things right. "Through Christ," I said, "our lives could be made anew, and from this very moment."
Then, when I was finished, there was total silence. But this was a good thing because I knew that each man was pondering what was said. And while some of them may have been taken aback by my forthrightness and my honesty to confess my own failures, I believe they understood that I had spoken the truth.
Moreover, I concluded by again stating that it was time for repentance. Likewise it was time to love our fathers, and to love our own sons and daughters more than ever if we happen to be fathers. "After all," I said, "we serve a God of hope." In addition, He is our heavenly Father who knows what's "best" for each of us. They understood this as well.
D.B.
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