The word, “Honor”, means to “give high respect, as for worth; respect manifested”. As I approach Father’s Day this year, I can’t think of a better description for the way I look at my dad, Pastor Gary Combs, than this word: Honor.
My relationship with my dad is an unusual one. There are not many people who can say that their dad is also their pastor, their boss, and one of their best friends. Many may wonder how he and I balance the many aspects of our relationship and still manage to get along at the end of the day! One thing I can attribute to that is the fact I am somehow able to compartmentalize my relationship with my dad so that I look at him as dad when at home, pastor while at church, boss when at work, and friend when I just want to hang out.
It isn’t always easy, having such a multi-faceted relationship with my dad. We’ve been working together almost 8 years now, and trust me, we’re both human, so there have been times where sparks fly and we push each others’ buttons (we’ve known each other for over 30 years now, so we both know exactly where each others’ buttons are). But what keeps us unified at the end of the day is our common deep passion and love for God and our mutual honor and respect for one another.
In Ephesians 6:1-8 it talks about children “honoring” their parents and fathers leading their child(ren), which pays honor to their child(ren) in return. My dad has made a point, ever since I was very little, to teach me the Bible. He has honored me with story after story, principle after principle, and all of the knowledge that he can offer to lead and guide me in this life. God has been gracious to bless my dad’s work in me and raised me to be the man I am today.
Honoring my dad is easy, because he has earned that respect from me. Not all fathers have earned their honor as mine has. However, the Bible doesn’t give an “out” for those who have poor fathers. It simply says “Honor your father and mother” (Exodus 20:12). No “ifs” or “buts” here. Simply honor them. Jesus honored Joseph, despite the fact that he knew every sin Joseph had ever committed, and Jesus had already existed for an eternity prior to becoming the son of Joseph. Do you think that was easy?
Sometimes the honor we pay to our fathers starts with the humbling of ourselves, the letting go of our own hurts and fears, and the submission to God’s Word, which commands us to honor them. And through that obedience, God does a work in our lives that this world cannot possibly understand, because they do not possess the love and power of God in their lives.
The end result? God Himself is honored.
As I write this blog, I remember my pastor, who is on sabbatical and taking the summer off from publishing his blog. May these words, which I have carefully thought out, uphold the standard that he has set and thus, honor him.
This Sunday, I will step up on stage to preach on honoring fathers. In my own father’s footsteps, I will speak to the church from God’s precious Word, using the outline for preaching that my dad taught me. May I be to my dad and to my Heavenly Father as the definition of “honor” says in the dictionary: “Respect, manifested”.
The picture above is of me, my dad, and my daughter (Cadence) last Father’s Day. May the honor and respect passed on to me from my dad be passed through me to my daughter, and may God bless it so it passes on for many generations to come.
This Father’s Day I proclaim a high honor to my dad, my pastor, my boss, and my friend. I love you, dad.
DUUUUUUUUUDDDDDDDEEEEEEEEE!!!! That was awesome cousin!
That’s very inspiring! I’m in the same configuration and would like to have advice from you about certain things. I’d love to get the chance to hear from you. How can I possibly reach out to you? Thanks.
Hi John, I’d be glad to chat with you. My email is stephen@wccnc.org.