Author: Dave Dishman (Page 280 of 475)

I’m happy on this day to be the father of three wonderful kids. I’m also happy to have enjoyed the gift of a good father (and grandfathers). I’m most grateful to live under the hand of our gracious heavenly Father.

Jesus taught us to pray to our Father:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

The Bible contains lots of names for God, but Jesus instructed us to use Father when praying. Which makes sense coming from the Son, and insightful for me to remember the close familial ties expressed in this prayer.

I know friends who either never knew their father, or experienced a jilted relationship with their father. Many find thinking of God as Father difficult because of their own father’s conduct or absence. Today may be less than joyous for them.

But take heart in these words spoken to David, which encourage those of us attempting to follow our Father:

I’ll be a father to him, and he’ll be a son to me. When he does wrong, I’ll discipline him in the usual ways, the pitfalls and obstacles of this mortal life. But I’ll never remove my gracious love from him (2 Samuel 7:14-15).

No matter your father—or how you father—our Father in heaven remains engaged and steady.

Which is what good Dads do.

Photo by Jon Tyson

I participated in the termination of an employee on a handful of occasions. In other words, we fired some folks over the years. I work for a campus ministry where we never have enough people, so firing one is our last choice. A number of reviews and hard conversations precede the final cut. I’ve noticed this proverb play out each time:

Whoever remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy.

The employees who received pink slips ignored multiple warnings about their behavior at work, and they expressed shock and anger at what they perceived as a rash decision. They never saw it coming, although everyone around them saw it quite clearly.

I hated each situation, as necessary as each proved. I’ll admit that most dismissals brought relief—to those of us left, not necessarily to the dismissed.

After few of these I started to observe a pattern. The stiff-necked—those who blocked feedback, who shrugged off evaluations, who bristled at criticism—left their leaders with no other recourse than to let them go. Game over.

I’ve seen this behavior enough to know I’d better listen to thoughts expressed on my reviews. If someone’s taken the time to write it, or even tell me personally, then I should pay attention. No one benefits from my stiff-neck, especially not me.

Proverbs 29:1 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

Photo by Sigmund

Who makes you better? As you look around, or look back, who are the people that challenge you to grow? I remember graduating from a small high school where I was a good student, then enrolling in a large university where I swam in a sea of good students. It was both intimidating and exhilarating. Going to class and studying with other driven undergrads sharpened my academic skills.

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

I need iron on iron relationships to check my bad impulses and encourage the good. I need those who will call me out when I’m wrong, and make me better than I could be on my own. I don’t need more friends on social media, but I do need living, breathing human beings across my table.

Many good work colleagues sharpened me professionally throughout my career. I’m grateful for each one. Good friends continue to sharpen me spiritually and socially. And my good spouse sharpens me in many ways (or at least she tries—what’s so wrong with drinking milk right from the carton?).

When iron sharpens iron sparks fly. Dross and rust flake off. The loud and dirty process takes effort and humility. But the result? I’m much better off, and so are those around me.

Recognize and nurture such relationships when they come along—they arrive as a gift from the hand of the Lord.

Proverbs 27:17 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

Photo by C D-X

I took my nephews to a trampoline park this week, a huge warehouse lined with trampolines and ninja courses. They played dodgeball on trampolines, basketball on trampolines, and wrestled on trampolines (unsanctioned by the management, of course). What an amazing innovation—wish it came 50 years earlier.

While there I ran into a guy chasing his toddler across the lobby. I mentioned the boy’s excitement and his father replied, Yea, he’s a real go-getter. Pride infused his tone. The kid was his father’s glory and joy.

Paul thought the same way of the believers he led to faith in Thessalonica, expressing his heart in this way: For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? It it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy.

Paul stands as one of the greatest influencers in history. He wrote much of what we read in our Bibles. But does he refer to his writings as his glory and joy? Not once, and neither his writings or his education or his travels or his conversations with kings. Paul found his glory and joy in a small group of suffering people trying to follow Jesus.

Which of course leads me to my glory and joy. Symbols of glory and joy draw my attention, from cathedrals to careers to money to Fortune 500 companies. Even multi-billionaires joyously ride their own rockets into space (which does seem pretty glorious).

But the words of Paul lift my eyes away from myself. My glory and joy lives in the people I intentionally go out of my way to build into and help grow. These include my kids, family members, friends, neighbors and co-workers. Who might make your list?

Another sobering way to consider this is to ask the question—who will mourn you when you gone? Not your lovely home or your bulging bank account. Not even your rocket ship if you own one.

Your mourners will be those you’ve invested in, who you’ve helped along the way, who see the love of Jesus in you. Those of your tribe who are your glory and joy.

1 Thessalonians 2 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

Photo by Tim Wildsmith