After almost 5 weeks in the NICU at Baptist Hospital, Hudson Thomas O'Neal comes home for the first time! We are so thankful for all the prayers!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
4 Types of Fathers
Father’s Day is only a few days away. I’ve only been a father for a little over a year now, but I find myself asking: “What type of father am I?” I think it’s healthy for me or any father to ask this question periodically.
According to Jesus, there are 4 types of fathers:
(1) The Indifferent Father (see Luke 8:12)—The indifferent father is a father who is not really open to hearing the truth about Jesus Christ. This father would rather not think about God or the implications of becoming a Christ-follower. Unfortunately, this father’s unbelief is what is keeping him from being forgiven and having a relationship with the God who created him.
(2) The Intellectual Father (see Luke 8:13)—The intellectual father is a father who is open to hearing the truth about Jesus Christ. He professes to follow Christ at first, but his shallow faith proves to be merely intellectual. Sadly, his unwillingness to love Jesus Christ with all his heart prevents him from becoming an authentic Christian. Growing up in a church-saturated country, many American fathers fall into this camp. They say they believe in God and Jesus. They are even open to attending church. But when the storms of life hit, or a test of faith comes, they ultimately bail on Christ and His church.
(3) The Interested Father—Jesus says that these fathers appear to be very interested in hearing the truth about Jesus Christ. Eventually, however, they are distracted by “the cares and riches and pleasures of life” (Luke 8:14). The interested father looks very similar to the intellectual father. Both profess to be genuine Christians. Both lack a radical commitment to Christ. For the interested father, it’s not necessarily the problems or trials in life that turn him away from God. It’s actually the “riches and pleasures of life.” In other words, this father’s commitment to this world (money, comfort, work, sports, family, etc.) prevent him from becoming committed to Christ.
(4) The Sold-Out Father—This father not only professes to know Jesus Christ, he actually proves by his actions that he is sold-out to Jesus. The sold-out father loves the Bible and lives under its authority. He loves the local church and serves others faithfully. The sold-out father is truly “born-again,” meaning that he has been forever changed by God from the inside out. Knowing that there is a cost to following Jesus, the sold-out father still decides to surrender every area of his life to Jesus. A favorite Bible verse of the sold-out father might be 2 Corinthians 5:15: “He [Christ] died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.”
So the question for you and for me is: What type of father am I? This question is important to answer because the type of father you are determines how you treat your wife, how you raise your children, and how you conduct every other arena of life. The type of father you are also indicates whether or not you have eternal life. Out of the four types, only the sold-out father is the real deal. The others are false and fake. I don’t want to be a false or fake father, do you?
No matter what type of father you are right now, the great news is that God loves you and is willing to forgive you and give you a fresh start in life. All you have to do is trust Him with your entire life. And if you do, be prepared to be blown away by your Heavenly Father’s care for you. There is no earthly father that compares to Him.
According to Jesus, there are 4 types of fathers:
(1) The Indifferent Father (see Luke 8:12)—The indifferent father is a father who is not really open to hearing the truth about Jesus Christ. This father would rather not think about God or the implications of becoming a Christ-follower. Unfortunately, this father’s unbelief is what is keeping him from being forgiven and having a relationship with the God who created him.
(2) The Intellectual Father (see Luke 8:13)—The intellectual father is a father who is open to hearing the truth about Jesus Christ. He professes to follow Christ at first, but his shallow faith proves to be merely intellectual. Sadly, his unwillingness to love Jesus Christ with all his heart prevents him from becoming an authentic Christian. Growing up in a church-saturated country, many American fathers fall into this camp. They say they believe in God and Jesus. They are even open to attending church. But when the storms of life hit, or a test of faith comes, they ultimately bail on Christ and His church.
(3) The Interested Father—Jesus says that these fathers appear to be very interested in hearing the truth about Jesus Christ. Eventually, however, they are distracted by “the cares and riches and pleasures of life” (Luke 8:14). The interested father looks very similar to the intellectual father. Both profess to be genuine Christians. Both lack a radical commitment to Christ. For the interested father, it’s not necessarily the problems or trials in life that turn him away from God. It’s actually the “riches and pleasures of life.” In other words, this father’s commitment to this world (money, comfort, work, sports, family, etc.) prevent him from becoming committed to Christ.
(4) The Sold-Out Father—This father not only professes to know Jesus Christ, he actually proves by his actions that he is sold-out to Jesus. The sold-out father loves the Bible and lives under its authority. He loves the local church and serves others faithfully. The sold-out father is truly “born-again,” meaning that he has been forever changed by God from the inside out. Knowing that there is a cost to following Jesus, the sold-out father still decides to surrender every area of his life to Jesus. A favorite Bible verse of the sold-out father might be 2 Corinthians 5:15: “He [Christ] died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.”
So the question for you and for me is: What type of father am I? This question is important to answer because the type of father you are determines how you treat your wife, how you raise your children, and how you conduct every other arena of life. The type of father you are also indicates whether or not you have eternal life. Out of the four types, only the sold-out father is the real deal. The others are false and fake. I don’t want to be a false or fake father, do you?
No matter what type of father you are right now, the great news is that God loves you and is willing to forgive you and give you a fresh start in life. All you have to do is trust Him with your entire life. And if you do, be prepared to be blown away by your Heavenly Father’s care for you. There is no earthly father that compares to Him.
Go to www.juststopandthink.com for more info about what it really means to become a Christ-follower.
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