With Father’s Day nearing on the North American calendar, men are weary from months of unrest, disease, storms, and fear. So far, this decade is a hard time to be a dad. They don’t feel like champions. What might happen if we listen to and learn from the men in our lives?
In Genesis 3 God defined the damaged experience mankind would face as a result of choosing sin over God’s perfect plan. For both man and woman, “painful effort” or sorrow entered their story (Genesis 3:16-19). This takes the form of injustice, disease, want, and violence. It leaves us vulnerable, experiencing the death of good things like truth, health, abundance, and peace. That first rejection trickled down to the “painful effort” we now know as 2020.
The same God who let us choose is our Champion, providing earthly champions to help with pain. This Heavenly “Champion” is our defender who can judge what is right.
God our Champion
The Heavenly Father set the example. “God in his holy dwelling is a father of the fatherless and a champion of widows. God provides homes for those who are deserted. He leads out the prisoners to prosperity,” (Psalm 68:5-6a, CSB).
- God sets the example by His holiness.
- God loves the unclaimed.
- God defends the unprotected.
- God plans how to include the lonely.
- God takes initiative for restoration.
The tender-hearted Heavenly Father oversees a plan for our good. He provides a fathering model for godly men to pattern their lives after. Every man has influence, but a godly man has godly influence.
Jesus our Champion
As God’s first act of defense and advocacy, He sent His Son to overcome death. John 16:33 says, “… in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
The tender-hearted Savior Jesus provides the means of care for those who want God’s peace. Following in the manner of our Maker, the Son of God is a gentle Shepherd when injustice, disease, want, and violence threaten to overwhelm. He hears us groan, and He sees us struggle and suffer. For times like 2020, there is Jesus.
The Holy Spirit our Champion
When God’s Son physically left earth for heaven, the Bible tells us (John 14:16) Jesus said, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever.” “Counselor” is the same as “advocate.” And the timeline? Forever. Even in 2020, especially in 2020.
As God Himself, the Holy Spirit is our defender giving counsel and comfort and advocating for our need.
And while our Heavenly Father and our Savior and His Spirit give us hope, God uses people to care for our common hurts, conflicts, and concerns. I could write with a focus on women, and there’s a lot of that, but today we’re reflecting in a fresh way on the power of freeing up fathers to care for the sorrows of today. They are one of God’s gifts to care for us in the hardest of times, like these. And what better way to show the greatness of godly men in 2020 than on a Zoom call?
Fathers are earthly champions
Have you had a Zoom meeting this year?
I scanned the Zoom screen, finding I was the only female joining the dozen men. They came together when it was night for some and morning for others. Sensing I was caught in an opportunity to hear the hearts of men, I leaned in to listen and learn.
Father-leaders gathered from around the world to share their hearts heavy with global hardships from disease and disaster. They asked questions, sought understanding, offered help, exchanged ideas, affirmed efforts, and uplifted needs. These fathers had the Father’s heart.
A group sharing a different language and a single Zoom screen explained how they had gathered information from their people about their needs in the pandemic. They organized care for the most vulnerable – widows, orphans, and displaced people. Their plans reflected tenderness for ones in their care.
When it came time to reach across the world in united prayer, we asked them, “How can we pray for you?” The men with the fewest resources spoke with abundant understanding and tenderness in the pattern of the Heavenly Father.
- Pray for protection for those away from family
- Pray for protection for their people from the Virus
- Pray for provision for the unemployed and poor
- Pray for plans for relief to help the hungry and hurting
- Pray for children unable to go to school and missing education
Lifting up our champions
2020 is taking “painful effort” around the globe. Needs are being played out in villages and hospitals, on roadsides and in homes of all kinds. We have God as our Heavenly Champion to oversee the plan for our good. We have the Son of God to provide for our care and overcome death. We have the Holy Spirit to counsel and comfort us as our advocate to speak for us in the worst of times. And as an earthly champion, we have men who follow God’s pattern to tenderly protect and provide for what we need here and now. Men are meant to step into this unique, God-given role. How can we be help men reach their champion potential?
- Have you been leaning in to listen and learn from godly men in your life?
- Are you appreciating their style of tender leadership for ones in their care?
- What might happen if we learn how to support the men in our lives?
- How could we affirm and assist the earthly “champions” so they are free to “father” in the manner of the Heavenly Father?
We are not without an advocate, heavenly or earthly, in this painful effort of “now.” Our Heavenly Champion is using godly men to be our earthly champions. Let’s celebrate our fathers with that in mind!
