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"If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory."
(Colossians 3:1-4)
This Sunday, June 19, we will honor all dads on Father's Day at Great Hills Baptist Church in Austin, TX. We appreciate all the men in our church and commend those who have that great title of "Dad". A couple weeks ago, I read Colossians 3:1-15, and it really spoke to me. I felt impressed to write a message for our fathers. My goal is to encourage and admonish all of us who are dads to be the men of God we need to be.
A verse that I always enjoy reading once a month as I journey through Proverbs every day is Proverbs 17:6: "Children's children are the crown of old men, and the glory of children is their father." God has planted within the hearts of children an innate love and respect for dads. It is actually pretty difficult for us fathers to squelch the admiration our kids have for us, and it is tragic when that happens. It is beautiful to see the opposite, though, when the relationship between a father and his children grows and blossoms. It brings great joy to both!
When Ashley and I were on vacation a couple weeks ago, I read an excellent book that I recommend to everyone, especially men. It is The Road to Joy, by Scott Drew, the head basketball coach at Baylor. One of the highlights of the book is the relationship Scott has with his father. His dad was an upcoming coach in the college ranks. He was an assistant to Coach Dale Brown at LSU when Scott was a young boy. His dad decided to leave that prestigious job and take a position as head coach at a small school in Indiana so he could spend more time with his children. God honored that decision, and they raised three great kids. Scott's brother, Bryce, went on to star at Valparaiso University and then to play in the NBA.
There are many wonderful things in this book that I learned and was blessed by. As you might have guessed if you knew that Scott Drew was a dedicated follower of Jesus, the JOY in the title stands for Jesus, Others, and Yourself. The book is about Scott's love for the Lord and how God has guided him in each step of his life and blessed him and his family greatly. They surely went through some very trying times in the 19 years he has coached at Baylor, but God has been so good to them. One of my favorite stories in the book is when Pastor Mark Wible, the team chaplain, told Scott about the dream he had. He dreamt that Baylor would play the Lions for the national championship. Scott said he was an optimist, but Baylor had not won a postseason basketball game since 1950. The only team he could think of that had less of a postseason history than Baylor was the Nittany Lions of Penn State. But sure enough, Baylor played Penn State in the NIT in 2009! They lost the game, but the program received a huge boost. During Drew's tenure as head coach at Baylor, they went on to win the national championship in NCAA men's basketball just two years ago in the 2021 season (p. 93).
As you read Colossians 3:1-15, lean into God's Word (especially dads), and set your minds on things above. Let us focus on Jesus and ask Him to help us be the dads He has called us to be. Let us put off the old garments of sin we used to wear and put on commendable garments of purity and righteousness. More about this in the next two devotions!
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