“Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding.”
I had a meeting this past week with a well-known and respected pastor. After the meeting, I respected him even more. The meeting was also with his wife, son, and daughter-in-law, as well as my movie producer partner. Yeah, there’s more to that story. One part of the meeting that impacted me greatly was his relationship with his father. More specifically, his lack of that relationship. In that room, most of us from the same generation had a very lacking relationship with our dads. When his father was on his deathbed, he went to him and said, “Dad, all I ever wanted was for you to tell me you loved me.” The dying old man laughed and said, “That was never going to happen.” Heartbreaking. My dad never said he loved me until he was much older, and then he would respond when I told him I loved him with a grunt or a “You too.” That was good enough for me. In this verse, and many others, it seems Solomon operates from the assumption of a healthy father-and-mother relationship with their child. The great thing I recognized in my visit with Bill, despite his lack of an earthly father relationship, is that he came to understand and live securely in the truth of an amazing relationship with his Heavenly Father. We all have access to that relationship, and it’s phenomenal. Today, love your dad here on earth and find your value in your Heavenly Father. #BeTheEdge
“Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding.” Proverbs 4:1 NIV
