“For you recall, brethren, our
labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any
of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses, and so is
God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers;
just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one
of you as a father would his own children, so that you would walk in a manner
worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.” (1
Thessalonians 2:9–12, NASB)
In this passage as Paul is
writing to the Thessalonian believers he expresses as a spiritual father many
of the traits that we treasure in our own fathers and to which end fathers can
seek to be with their own children. No longer in their presence, Paul reminded
them of the example of labor and struggle as he put in the time both night and
day to do what was necessary for their benefit. In this case, Paul labored for
his own provision, but in the case of the father and his family it pictures the
diligence that is necessary to tend to the needs of the family as he sets an
example of work and perseverance.
There is also the example of
teaching. As Paul taught them about God and how to walk before Him, so does the
father in the family have the privilege and responsibility to pass on what he
has learned to train up his own children both in life and hopefully in their
lifelong relationship with God.
Lastly, there is the example of
exhortation as a father to a child who encourages them to walk in a manner
worthy of who they are and the God who loves them. Fathers have the awesome
privilege of setting a pattern for life and encouraging their children as they
move forward in the path set before them. We also have a heavenly Father in God
who desires we seek Him as He does this for us.
This was originally posted in Sherman County eNews Spiritual Matters on June 14, 2109
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