“Go Dad, Fight to Win!” - Pastor Jacqueline Hines June 20, 2021

 

“Go Dad, Fight to Win!”  - Pastor Jacqueline Hines

June 20, 2021

Have you ever been in an argument? Have you ever had a fight? My memories of arguments and fights evoke in me plenty of shame and embarrassment and anger and only a little bit of satisfaction. In grade school, when we knew Ms. Steiner was, what some called “cross,” we would keep our eyes down low enough to the floor to see her thick black shoes coming our way as she walked down each row of her students in Math class. We dared not speak a word. It could just make her angrier. When it was my turn to bring my math answers up to her desk to be checked, she slammed the paper down, scowled, banged the desk and declared that my answer was incorrect. I went back to my seat, looked busy for a few moments waiting for her to calm down, went back up to her desk with the same answer and received her approval. Some things are not worth fighting over.

In 1992 the movie White Men Can’t Jump came out. It argued against the idea that we can know what a person can or cannot do based on the color of his or her skin. Again, in grade school, I harbored the notion that white girls couldn’t beat me up because black girls like me had supernatural strength. Rhonda proved me oh so wrong. As we wrestled arm to arm, I thought to myself, “She’s not going down. She’s supposed to be
going down.” Then she did something I had never learned to do. She picked up some dirt and threw it in my face. The fight was over, leaving a very large dent in my pride as well as in my understanding of race. David defeated the giant Goliath. His faith in God gave him the strength he needed to fight and win! 

On this Father’s Day, we honor Father’s as protectors and providers. Being a father is one of the hardest jobs in this world. That’s why father’s need God. Young dads, old dads, and would be dads need faith in God. God can guide every father to fight a fight and win. Fathers may not win EVERY fight. They may not win every battle. In the end, Godly fathers have the victory. The war is won. With God, we are always on the winning side!

David tells us why he was confident. There are at least three reasons. First, in verse 34 or so he says, “I’m a shepherd.” David was accustomed to protecting, providing, directing, and fighting off predators of all kinds who wanted to eat his little lambs and destroy the sheep he was shepherding. David knows that as a shepherd he can deal with Goliath because he has dealt with many a savage beast. He did it before. He had become confident and comfortable with protecting, providing, directing and fighting predators again. Secondly, David was confident enough to fight Goliath because he had the tools he needed and that worked best for his skill set. He could have put on the protective armor that King Saul had in his castle for him, but David was not used to it. He did not wear the usual armor from head to toe. He used only a rock and a sling shot. Instead he took his enemy off guard. He used the armor of God we read about in Ephesians 6. His armor was invisible to those who would not see. He wore a helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit, the shield of faith, his feet were covered in peace, he had the breastplate of righteousness, and the belt of truth. A Godly father may not look like a warrior, he may even look weak and worn, but God works on the inside so that a godly father has all that he needs to provide, to protect, to direct, and to fight predators that try to harm their little lambs.

Finally, David had confidence because he knew God had his back. Around verse 45 he says that Goliath may come with a sword and an ax but David comes with God, not just any God but the God of angel armies. The army of angels was on duty that day when David first fought Goliath. The angels were praising God, encouraging those who fought for right, and fighting to protect God’s people against spiritual wickedness, principalities and powers found on the dark side instead of the side where God’s light resides.

You may remember that in Daniel’s day Christians were persecuted and tortured by being thrown into a lion’s den. Daniel was hungry for the precious word and direction that only God can give in a trying time. He fasted and prayed for 21 days waiting for God to answer. The bible says that God released from heaven an answer to Daniel’s prayer as soon as Daniel prayed it, but the answer was delayed for 21 days because a spiritual battle was happening whether in the atmosphere or in the land itself. Just like God’s angels were fighting to answer Daniel’s prayers, they were fighting to help David defeat his gigantic Goliath enemy. Fathers learn that God has their back. They are backed up with an army of angels.

I asked fathers this week to tell us of a time when they knew that God had their backs. One father wrote: God has stopped me on more than one occasion from killing my kids (LOL). Another father told how his daughter thought it was her fault that he got divorced from her mother. She refused to speak to him for over a year. A trusted friend advised the father to just keep telling her that
he loved her and writing her regularly. It worked. He remained a faithful father and his daughter eventually sent him a valentine card declaring her love for him as well.  Another father notes: God has kept all three of our children safe. We are especially grateful since one of them is in law enforcement. God has been in their lives, and all three are active in their local United Methodist Church.

Being a father is a very, very hard job. There are unspeakable struggles and hardships for all of us, but God sees us through. Whatever battle you face, you do not face it alone. We celebrate all God’s children this day, and especially fathers. Our hearts are glad because, like David in a battle with Goliath, we know that you have experiences as a leader. You are a good shepherd in one way or another and God has equipped you to provide, protect, direct, and fight off predators. You are dressed in the whole armor of God and you know that God, with an army of angels, has your back. May it be so today and always.