Father’s Day Message – 2025

“As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” – Joshua 24:15

We live in an age where the darkness has made its presence known everywhere.  The world’s shadows have lengthened and faith is treated with disdain.  Father and Mother have become, in some corners of our culture, taboo words.  Yet, here we are, on Father’s Day – an opportunity to honor a calling that has not lost its glory despite the cultural pitfalls we face — fatherhood. The Christian father, though battered by the winds of cultural rebellion, stands today not as a relic of a bygone age, but as a bulwark of grace in a world adrift.

Being a father is more than being a parent – it is an important, and must I say “necessary,” position not appointed by men, but ordained by the Lord Himself. When God would describe Himself, He did not hesitate to call Himself “Father.” What solemn dignity, then, is bestowed upon the man called to mirror such divine love, discipline, and leadership within the household!

I, myself, when I was young did not fully understand all that went into that role.  I worked hard.  I provided.  But, unfortunately, my wife and I were unevenly yoked and we battled over faith (among other things).  I was not the spiritual head of my household as I am today.  In youth, and under the onslaught, we are naïve and bombarded with alternative opinions over who we are supposed to be as a father.  We must not be blind. The hour is late, and the adversary is even more cunning and intrusive inside the family unit than he was before. In 2025, we are told that truth is fluid, masculinity is toxic, and fatherhood is optional or, worse, oppressive. The world clamors for freedom but in its hands is only a chain of bondage. It cries for progress, but knows not what progress truly is because they deny history, deny the Bible – and in such times, the Christian father must not retreat nor be beaten down by what the world is hammering him with – it is his duty, as it is the duty of The Church, to arise.  To stand tall.  To proclaim victory with the Lord and carry out the duties God has given him.

Fathers, in my twilight years I have come to realize the foundational truth.  You are shepherds of your little flock. You are not to provoke your children to wrath, but neither are you to surrender them to the world’s foolishness. The tender plant requires both sunlight and pruning; so your children require both compassion and correction.  We must be filled with a constant reading of the Scriptures. “Prayer changes things” is not just a cliché saying about the power of prayer – and of course, we must also put legs on those prayers – but we must also be doers of The Word as we are instructed in James 1:22.  Our children, as it is with ourselves, wrestle with God and they are constantly besieged by the false teachings of the world.  Therefore, we must teach our children with our words, and also with our actions – how we carry out the activities and duties of our lives.

Balance.  We work and operate in the world to feed and house our family, and yes – Mom is the natural nurturer –  and to nurture is out of our comfort zone as men, but that does not mean we neglect that aspect of our home.  We, as fathers, are more than just the head of the household – we as fathers must be the leader, the teacher, a servant and a steward, the disciplinarian and the comforter, the guide, the protector, and the one who walks with his family watching over them as a model and with great attention.  A father leads through humility, sacrifice, and love – he is grounded in truth and grace.  His authority is not for control’s sake, but to build up his family toward being more Christ-like.  And, it is best if we do not delegate our divine duties to the schools, television, movies, music, or even the Sunday School teacher. You, fathers, must be the high priest of your house, the gatekeeper at the door. Let not wolves enter under the pretense of enlightenment, and instruct when instruction is required, and correct when correction is necessary.

Do not be discouraged.  The world may sneer, but heaven sees. Our Lord was despised by men, and told us that during our latter days we would be hated because of His Name.  He was crowned with glory, despite the hatred – despite the fact that the world was willing to send him to a gruesome death on a Cross.  Today, too, the faithful father may be mocked – but my fellow fathers, take your role seriously – even if in the past we feel like we may have failed.  Place God within all that you do as a father.  Today the world may sneer and mock, but ultimately you shall hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” when the Lord returns and we come to be with Him.

To the fathers who feel weary—take heart! The Lord who called you to this high office will not abandon you in it. His grace is sufficient. His Spirit empowers. His Word guides.

And to the children and wives who read this, honor your father or husband not because he is perfect, but largely because he’s not perfect yet he places God at the bow of his sailing vessel as it navigates through the turbulent waters of the world, and life.  God has placed him in your life as protector and provider, a man under authority, seeking to serve Christ.

Let this day – Father’s Day – not be one of mere sentiment, but of sacred resolve: that in a world gone mad, we shall be men of God — fathers who kneel before Christ and stand for truth, even if the heavens fall.

God bless our fathers. And may He raise up a generation of sons who will fear His name, and daughters who will walk in His light.

Yours in Christ,

Douglas V. Gibbs