It's a rare individual that has a good father. Even good ones are not perfect! All make mistakes, some big ones! Some fathers, over time come to their senses and make amends for their misspent youth. Some never get it right! No matter how bad your dad is/was, you are commanded to honor him. Even if he was wonderful, we are often horrible children and judge our dads, and do not honor them.
This is the only commandment with a promise. You honor, and your days will be long.
Even if we had a bad father, when we lose him to death, we have a tendency to immortalize him. We remember the good and forget the bad. That is not the same as forgiving. Forgiveness also requires repentance, because unforgiveness is a sin. Also, when we are hurt by someone, especially our father, (say, as a young child) we make proclamations, or judgments, that we must repent of: "I will not be like him!"
"For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you." (Matthew 7:2 NKJV)
Without repentance of our judgments we end up doing the exact same bad thing; most of the time MUCH worse!
I hear many people say, "Oh, I have forgiven him!" Unless it occurs with repentance, it's not a done deal.
I also hear people say, "I can never forgive him!"
You must forgive! Jesus said:
"“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." (Matthew 6:14-15 NKJV)
And again:
"But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”" (Mark 11:26 NKJV)
Forgiving someone who has hurt or wronged you, does not mean that what they did was okay; it means that you are willing to obey God. It puts His will above yours. It's submission and required if you are to walk with Him!
Honoring your father and your mother is a commandment; not a suggestion, and to obey God we must! Honoring, obeying, repenting, forgiving; you HAVE to, no matter what he/she did or did not do, or say for that matter. And we do it in submission to our Heavenly Father because He said to! We obey because we love Him!
“If ye love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15 KJV
I say all of this, because today is my earthly father's birthday!
When I made my list of people I needed to forgive, he was at the top! I, out of obedience forgave my dad. I acknowledged his sins and repented of my judgments of him and the unforgiveness I had held in my heart all of those years! I now love him better, because there's no pain associated with it!
When you, humble yourself and confess your sins to God in front of a brother or sister you can trust; when you forgive with repentance of disobedience, healing occurs! You are applying The Blood of Jesus and it's as if the wrong never occurred! THAT'S healing!! When He doesn't remember, you won't either.
So today, I honor my daddy! He was there; he did his best, walking in the light he had, and with God's help, finished the race! I am thankful, to God, that I had him. And I miss him!
If you still have your Dad, thank God, and give him a hugggggggg!
Even so - MARANATHA!
From 2/7/16
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