Pastor Craig T. Owens
Calvary Assembly of God
810 17 Mile Rd, Cedar Springs
www.cscalvary.org

“I always consider the settlement of America with reverence and wonder, as the opening of a grand scene and design in providence, for the illumination of the ignorant and the emancipation of the slavish part of mankind all over the earth.” – John Adams.
We just celebrated Father’s Day, and the celebration of Independence Day is just around the corner. I think these two days are joined together by a common thread. Without minimizing the importance of mothers in the slightest, I see a unique bond between our family fathers and our founding fathers.
Our founding fathers wanted something better for the 13 colonies. They envisioned a nation where people were free to govern themselves, provide for themselves, and better themselves. A nation free from oppressors that would enslave them or hold them back from reaching their full potential.
Likewise, family fathers envision something better for their families. They want to see their children excel, to be able to go farther and reach higher. But just as with our founding fathers, our family fathers have to overcome the societal and cultural forces that would seek to derail those dreams. As Thomas Paine wrote in Common Sense, “Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives everything its value.”
So, Dads, where do we start? I don’t think it has to be on the battlefield, but it can start right in our homes. As Ronald Regan wisely noted, “All great change in America begins at the dinner table.” Moses sounded a similar note when he advised Dads to always remind their children about what made them a great and a free people: “Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up” (Deuteronomy 6:7).
Just as our founding fathers talked about the benefits of freedom, and how we could obtain it, our family fathers should do the same. Spend lots and lots of time with your kids, talking to them about their potential, encouraging their growth, challenging them to aim higher, empowering them to live a greater life. The freedom of future generations of free and successful Americans depends on you, Dad, by the investments you make in your children.
I thank God for our founding fathers, and I ask for His blessing on our family fathers.