Everett Piper Christian Blog and Commentary

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Honor Your Father

 

Note:  To listen to this blog on KWON go to http://www.bartlesvilleradio.com/caffeine/uploads/files/ON%20Demand/Ideas%20Matter/Ideas%20Matter%206-20.mp3 . To get a copy of Dr. Piper’s new book Why I Am a “Liberal” and Other Conservative Ideas go to www.whyiamaliberal.com.

We are told in Scripture to “honor” our fathers so that our days may be long and that it may “go well” for us. The nationally known author John Piper does just that by sharing the following list of his dad’s sayings for all of us to consider.

1. The right road always leads to the right place. Doing wrong will never lead you to where God is or where He wants you to be.

2. There is only one thing to do about anything; that is the right thing. When you are perplexed by a difficult situation and you don’t know what to do—Do right. This may not tell you exactly which right thing to do, but it does rule out a few dozen wrong things.

3. Happiness is not found by looking for it. You stumble across it by doing your duty. It’s your duty to “rejoice in the Lord…” It’s your duty to “delight yourself in Him.” It’s your duty to love Him and obey Him. Joy and happiness are byproducts of doing what God wants, not what you want: Look to please God and not yourself.

4. Putting God in the right place fixes every other relationship of life. If God is the center of the solar system of our lives, then all the planets will be held in their proper orbit. But if not, everything and everybody goes awry.

5.It is never right to get the right thing in the wrong way. Good grades, wealth, power, and position are of no value if they are ill-gotten gain. Be a principled, not a pragmatic, person no matter how much it hurts and how much you lose.

Perhaps this list not only honors the wisdom of an earthly father but of an eternal one as well…