TEXT: Ephesians 6:1-4; Proverbs 1:8

It’s Father’s Day! Have you been having some special thoughts about your dad? Maybe you have been thinking about what you could do for him or give him on this day.

Did you ever stop to think that fathers come in all sizes, shapes, and colors?

Some are rich, some poor, and some in-between.

Some are happy and fun to be with; others are grumpy.

Some live with their children and some live elsewhere.

Some love Jesus and serve Him; others may never go to church.

Some find little jobs to do together with their kids; others don’t.

Some dads are healthy, but some dads are sick and can’t do many things.

Some scold or discipline when you’ve done something you shouldn’t. Does that mean they don’t love you?

Now, which fathers should be obeyed?

Did you say, “All of them”? You’re right.

Jesus wants children to listen to their parents and then do what they are told. That will make parents happy, and it will make Jesus happy too.

The Bible tells us that we should honor our fathers and mothers. What does honor mean? Do you suppose it means to treat your father like a king? Should you make a crown for him to wear? Nooooo? Well, how about bowing to him before you speak? We don’t do that in our country but in some countries children do bow to the parents and to teachers.

So how do we honor our parents? We’ve already talked about one way and that is to obey them. Is there a younger brother or sister in your family who sometimes says, “I won’t! I won’t!” or, “no, No, NO!” Does that make your parents happy? Speaking in a respectful way is part of honoring another person. You wouldn’t call your father “my old man,” but some other children might. We feel unhappy when someone speaks against our parents or criticizes them. Why? Because it isn’t respectful, it is not honoring our parents.

Show your father how much you love him, not just on Father’s Day but every day. If you honor your parents, God will honor you. And your parents will be happy too.

Father’s Day works in well with our unit on obedience because it is vital that children learn the importance of honoring and obeying their parents. During our class time we will help your child recognize that these are commands found in the Bible.

One of the key factors in building a strong and loving relationship between father and child is appreciation. To emphasize this thought to your child, help him put together a booklet for his father called, “My Dad Is Special.”

Pages in the book could include a poem for Dad, your child’s version of a story Dad tells, a list of reasons why he is special, a picture drawn of Dad, a prayer for Dad, and a special award certificate for him.

FAMILY DEVOTIONS