Do We Have What it Takes: A Father's Day Special

I never realized it until today, but this has always been a question weighing heavy on my heart since I was a little boy. This question has played a substantial role in shaping my life.

Do I have what it takes?

Today our pastor pointed out that all men and boys ask this question of themselves constantly. He used Noah as an example of a Biblical role model who undoubtedly faced this burning question for much of his life, and proved that he had what it took; and if he had not, then he and his family would have perished along with the human race in the flood. What was it about Noah that helped him rise to the occasion in such a dire time?

Do I have what it takes?

This question alone is the reason little boys look up to super heroes, cannot wait to go off to war, dedicate themselves to learning martial arts, or simply try to be the best they can be at any tradecraft. We boys and men are always aspiring to measure up to something that is outside ourselves, to find our limits so we can find some way to exceed them. We do it for big and little things alike. It is the basis of our competitive thrust. It is also what little boys want so badly from their fathers - to show them how to do manly things (woodcraft, auto mechanics, shooting a gun, etc.), so they can gain their fathers' approval. They want to hear those words, "I'm proud of you."

Have I had what it takes?

One of the first times I remember asking myself this question was when I first tried out for my high school junior varsity soccer team. I did not have what it took that week, and it tore me up for days.

I also asked this question when I joined the Army. Did I have what it took to make it through Basic Combat Training? Ultimately yes I did, but my resolve was tested and proved throughout those nine weeks. 

Today I ask this question of myself about owning and keeping a house, maintaining a car, being a husband, and following Christ. I hone my "life skills" for this same purpose, and it is this same question that either validates or disproves me as a good husband, father, or disciple of Christ.

This question daunted me seven years ago when I saw my daughter for the first time, and it remains fresh to this day. Do I have what it takes to be a father? Children can certainly be the most trying, but they are also the most rewarding. I have failed countless times, and I continue to fail; however, I know that I have also succeeded in many ways, and it is only by God's grace. 

I have found that this "success" has a direct correlation to seeking my Heavenly Father's approval (not seeking approval in the carnal earthly way of trying to find approval through works, but rather seeking the Father's approval by getting to know and walking with Him). This was Noah's secret to success in overcoming insurmountable odds to ultimately succeed at saving the human race. When the Father told Noah, whose name means one who brings rest, to build a giant boat in the middle of dry land in the face of certain mockery (I mean, really, what sane man does that?), Noah did it because he knew his Father; he knew His character and trusted the Father implicitly, and thus was able to rest and have faith in Him.

Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.                                                                                                        -Genesis 6:9 (VOICE)

By faith Noah respected God’s warning regarding the flood—the likes of which no one had ever seen—and built an ark that saved his family. In this he condemned the world and inherited the righteousness that comes by faith.                                                                                                                                                                                    -Hebrews 11:7 (VOICE)

As I close out this year's Father's Day, and think about all of the times I have or haven't risen to the occasion, this message will continually remind me (and I hope that it reminds you) that it is not about us fathers - it is about us walking with and resting in the Father, and then this question about whether we have what it takes or not will be moot.

Happy Father's Day to all you fathers out there!! 

(based on the sermon by Pastor Greg Thompson, Smoky Hill Vineyard, Centennial, CO)