A father's wisdom

One of the programs that stood out in the early days of radio was a show called “Father knows Best”. The program was set in the Midwest and featured an insurance agent who was married with three children. The show ran on the radio from 1949 to 1954. In the latter part of 1954, NBC decided to have the show make a jump from radio to television. From ’54 to ’60, the Anderson family was beamed into homes across the country. Every week, viewers would be treated to great wisdom from the patriarch of the family, the father, Jim Anderson who was portrayed by actor Robert Young. The show was so popular, that even after it left the airwaves in 1960, CBS and ABC ran reruns of the show for the next 3 years.

How far we have come away from shows like that. Today, fathers are typically portrayed in an unflattering manner. Usually seen today as men who try to fly under the radar of their marriage, so that their wives won’t notice them nor care what they are doing, just as long as they are not in the way. Today, fathers are seen on TV as men who are out of touch and only have catch phrases to give as wisdom. Such as, “Holy crap”, a popular phrase of Frank Barone, from “Everybody loves Raymond.”
Growing up, I remember watching shows like the Nelsons on the new Disney channel, or how about the old re-runs on KPLR TV in St. Louis. “Don’t eat the daisies”, “Leave it to Beaver” or “The Andy Griffith Show” were some of my favorites to watch. In each episode the fathers always seem to be the ones who were the voice of reason. The ones who would give great wisdom to his family near the need of the 30 minutes that made everything ok.

As the times have changed and the roles of fathers on TV have changed, I believe it has skewed our perception of our own heavenly father. Today there is a lack of respect for fathers and that lack of respect is now being pointed upward. If we cannot respect our own fathers, who we can see and hear, how then can we have respect for a heavenly one that is not visible? If we do not heed the advice of our fathers, how can we read the bible and take the advice of a father who is invisible to our naked eyes?

John wrote in 1 John 4:20, “For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.”

The same rule applies to our fathers and God. If we cannot love and respect the father who raised us, who comforted us in times of distress, who worked to provide our wants and needs, then how can we love and respect a heavenly father who helped guide us, who comforts us in times of distress and who provides everything that we need?

In Deuteronomy 6:5, we are given clear direction on how we are to feel about God. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all of your soul and with all of your strength.”

That means you give God everything you have! That even when you think you can’t love Him anymore, you keep on loving Him. When all hope seems lost, you keep on loving Him. When you lose the thing most precious to you, you keep on loving Him. When all the money is gone and there are too many days ahead until pay day, when your enemy is attacking or even when everything is perfect, keep on loving God.

I don’t see TV changing the way they portray fathers in the near future, which means this negative influence will still continue. So, it is left up to us to change that perception. We must set good examples for our children and their children to come. We must set great, not good, but great examples for young fathers to see and follow. It is time to bring love and respect to our fathers and to our God.

Have Fun, Live Free, Hope Strong,

PastorG