“Having A Great Father’s Day”

            Father’s Day is usually a day when you have the opportunity to speak to your father, if he is still living that is. It’s also a day to celebrate what a father means to you. It’s also a day to celebrate with your own children as their father, and if they are fathers, that’s even more special!

            Looking at our own life from a son’s perspective, we can see the importance of the dividends of parental investment. God designed fathers to be the head of the household and also the spiritual leader of the family.

            Success comes from deep within the heart. It’s the place where true success originates. The book of Proverbs speaks volumes about a father’s wisdom and the importance of it on a child’s life.  “My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity,” (Proverbs 3:1-2).

            Wisdom for right living is a requirement for fathers to teach to their children. Fathers must be straightforward with their words, and be insightful so that their children develop discernment and spiritual savvy as they walk through life.

            The mind must be trained from the heart of a father who can be trusted to inspire common sense and spiritual significance that make the recipients truly want direction and meaning in life. It’s interesting that in Proverbs chapters two through seven, all begin with the same two words, “My son.” I remember my own father telling me how significant it was for his father to call him son.

            Yours truly was honored to officiate at my own father’s memorial service. What an honor to be the speaker at the celebration of my father’s eighty-one years of life. That celebration was sandwiched between graduating from Moody Bible Institute and going to the Nitro Nationals in Red Bluff, CA. My father had told me only a few months earlier how proud he was of me for being the only minister in the Jack family.

            I know it was a month before Father’s Day that year, but the influence my dad had on me was tenderly impressed upon my heart and mind sitting there in that auditorium in Chicago, IL. My father, my father-in-law, and my heavenly Father were all smiling on me that afternoon. The emotions were awe-inspiring knowing those two earthly men were “at home” with my heavenly Father’s Son, Jesus, and my heavenly Father was approving His call on my life.

            Seeing racers with their fathers or racers with their sons racing together is as good as it gets in the racing world. My son, Jim, Jr., was the Western States Quarter-Midget National Champion in 1982, and it was incredible to be there to witness his wire-to-wire forty lap victory in Sunnyvale, California. That day was truly a special highlight in my life, along with doing my own father’s memorial service nineteen years later.

            “A father is the first authority figures in a child’s life. Being a dad is an enormous responsibility, because children base their perception of God on what they observe in their earthly father. If they witness a loving and godly example in the home, they will be predisposed to submit to God’s sovereign authority when they are grown.” (Charles Stanley)

            Fathers play a big role in the life of a son or daughter. How about you? Are performing up to God’s standards as a father? Are you proud of your dad? Are you proud of your son? Are you proud of your daughter? Are you glad that the Son of God has given you those special gifts of fathers, sons, and daughters?

            In life (as well as in racing), there are things that trigger memories and moments about our fathers’ lives. One particular memory for me is the fragrance of the tobacco my father smoked in his pipe. Lou Osman, the owner of the world record holding “Speed Sports” Top Fuel Hydro smokes the same brand as my father did, “Captain Black,” and every time that aroma comes my way, it always make me think of  my father. Thanks Lou for bringing the sweet smelling memories of my father to mind when I’m at the IHBA races.

            Come to think of it, everything I do in life now makes me think of my heavenly Father…looking at my surroundings, reading, speaking the language of a Christian, spiritualizing music, living the life of a believer, being the spiritual leader of my household, working for Team RFC in my administrative duties, being a pastor at the races, writing for drag boat publications and web sites, living in Arizona, performing weddings for racers, staying at racers’ homes during a race, praying for my family, praying for racers, talking with prospective chaplains, communicating with Team RFC chaplains, preparing sermons, watching a sunrise…all the while knowing that God is a faithful Father every day.

A father would never neglect the safety and well being of his children. He wouldn’t allow them to walk into circumstances that might be harmful or fatal. So remember what God says about your position? “You call out to God for help and he helps—he's a good Father that way. But don't forget, he's also a responsible Father, and won't let you get by with sloppy living,” (1 Peter 1:17 MSG). Sloppy work won’t cut it in racing…and it won’t cut it in fathering either.

You should race and live like a champion. May your Father’s Day be filled with passion and love for the Fathers in your life.  God never neglects taking care of His people. It may not be in your time frame, but He will always be a loving Father to all who call upon Him in spirit and truth.

Our Father's business is why we have been called by Him. Today: Look to your Father in dependence. “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence,” (Hebrews 4:16). Look in your Father’s Word for direction. “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path,” (Psalm 119:105). Look at the world with your Father’s perspective. “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see,” (Hebrews 11:1). Look around for your Father’s ready-made opportunities. “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you,” (1Peter 3:15). Look for Fatherly nourishment. “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another,” (Proverbs 27:17).

            None of us really knows what the future of this earthly world will bring tomorrow, but I do know that I want to spend every second of every day glorifying and praising my wonderful and awesome heavenly Father for giving me the opportunity to serve and live for Him.

Remember, Jesus daily renewed fellowship with the Father—and thus He was never so engrossed in the work of the Lord that He forgot the Lord of the work. Therefore, God does not look for His inheritance in the stars, or in the shining seraphim that surround His throne. He looks for it in His saints! He looks for it in His sons and daughters. You and me! Christianity is not just a phase of life, it is life itself, and others must see our Father’s heart in us.

Jim Jack