Ok, I confess, I am not the greatest planner when it comes to gift giving. I hate spending money on stupid things. The father of my children doesn’t need any more ties, t-shirts or packs of underwear. He really doesn’t need any more popsicle stick crafts or macarroni picture frames.
I do like sentimental, meaningful gifts. I do like using the occassion to teach my kids how to give. So for Father’s Day we sat down tonight and the kids made jokes. That’s right. Jokes. Bonified, home-grown, authentic kid jokes.
We let my dad and my husband read them tonight at dinner. We definitely got a few laughs.
But the truth is, as much fun as it was, Dad’s need more than laughs. They need more than going out to dinner. They need more than a homecooked meal.
This year I am recommitting myself to the one thing my husband and my dad need. And I am calling on the women in my life to join me. It is one simple word found in Ephesians 5:33.
Respect.
“The wife must respect her husband.”
This principal stands true for all of the men in our lives. The language that they speak is respect.
Just like we speak with feelings and emotions and we react to being loved or unloved, men react to being respected or disrespected.
And we are disrespecting our men if we:
- treat him like a kid
- give him chores
- yell at him
- tell him what to wear
- tell him what not to wear
- question how he spends his money
- question how he spends his time
- question his intelligence
- make jokes about him
- refuse to serve him
- insult his ability to provide
- compare him to other men
So this year forget giving Dad a new tie. Give him gift that has eternal weight. Give him respect.
“God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” James 4:6
