The Gift of 3 Truths on Father's Day
By Justin Camp
We have an enemy, and it’s not those people we disagree with or who believe differently than we do. It’s not people on the other side of the political spectrum. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” - Ephesians 6:12
Our enemy is much worse. He is “a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). He pummels us with lies over the entire course of our lives. He pummels the men in your life again and again telling them who to be and what to do, what is real and what is right. His false messages are insidious because they don’t sound so bad... at first, at least.
But, of course, if we believe them, if we follow his lies, they debilitate us—keep us unsure of ourselves, merely surviving, tired and underutilized and isolated. And, eventually, they lead us to our deaths.
So, here we are. In a world screaming for redemption, with a vicious enemy, with the odds stacked against us—against us ever living the way our God designed us to live.
Things can look grim. But they aren’t. Because opposite of all those lies is something much greater: the truth of God. The truth of Jesus Christ. And we can be agents of his truth—encouraging one another, telling the people in our lives the truth we see in them, helping them to stand strong in the face of all this deception and malice.
As a unique and powerful gift, here are three things you can tell your husband (and all the dads in your life) this Father’s Day:
1. He Is Never Alone.
Jesus promises he is with us wherever we go—when we’re home, when we’re at work, in tough circumstances, in every difficult call, every difficult meeting. “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20). Remind your husband of this. But tell him that you are with him too. Remind him of your wedding vows—to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part. Remind him that you are a team, that you are with him in every victory and every failure, every joy and every struggle.
2. He Is Loved, No Matter What.
We are precious sons and daughters of an outrageously loving Father God. God’s love for each of us burns bright and true. It will never dim. Not ever. Not even a little. If you were to plot his love on a graph, the line would be high and flat. It wouldn’t fluctuate over time; it would never swing in response to our good actions—or even our worst. He doesn’t love us more because of the things we’ve accomplished or acquired in life. Remind your husband of this. But remind him too that you love him for who he is—the love of your life—not for what he does and what he brings home.
3. You Are Not Worried.
For husbands, it sometimes feels like worrying is just a part of being a man. They, like us, worry about the bad things that might happen—to them, to us, to our loved ones. So, they, like us, strategize and plan about how to get out in front of all those things. As we know, all that worrying can hang over our lives. It can haunt our thoughts and steal important moments—moments that should be joy-filled.
But Jesus teaches us that we don’t need to worry. For he didn’t come so that we’d live lives haunted by fear. He came and died to set us free from such things (Gal. 5:1). He assures us that our Father God will take care of us, whether we worry or not (Matt. 6:26). Remind your husband of this, as well. But even more, tell him that you are not worried. Tell him you trust God. And tell him that you trust him too. Encourage him. Tell him you believe in him. Tell him that you know it’s all going to be okay, somehow.
Write your version of all these messages on a card. Or, perhaps better still, tell him with your own words, looking directly into his eyes. However you do it, surprise your husband with these uncommon, right-side-up gifts on Father’s Day.
Jennifer and Justin Camp are married and writers. They co-founded Gather Ministries, a Christian nonprofit focused on discipleship and encouragement. Justin recently released his latest book, Odyssey: Encounter the God of Heaven and Escape the Surly Bonds of This World—it’s another great gift idea for Father’s Day.
Related Resource: How to Make Your Prayer Habits Stick
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Originally published Friday, 21 June 2024.
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