Lessons My Dad Taught Me

Last week I was listening to a minister friend of mine on television share a series entitled “Lessons My Mother Taught Me.” This is the second time I heard a well-known minister share sermons on the same theme. The Apostle Paul made a very strange statement in 1 Corinthians 4:15. He said to the church, “You might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers.” Sadly, that’s still the case even today as we celebrate Father’s Day. Yet we should consider ourselves fortunate and blessed if we’ve had a great father or father figure in our lives. I am glad to say that I’m one of those fortunate children who has a great dad.

My dad passed on four important lessons that I believe make for a good father.

The first lesson he taught me was how to take care of my wife. Over forty years ago my mom suffered a panic attack which forced her to give up driving. From that moment on my dad had to drive her everywhere. Yet I never heard him complain while he patiently served my mom. This helped me when, due to a bad experience prior to our marriage, my wife did not drive for the first five years of our marriage. It was because of my dad’s example that I was able to patiently encourage my wife to learn to drive again.

The second lesson he taught me was responsibility for taking care of my children. I’m the first third-generation Greene to have graduated from college even though my dad has eight brothers and sisters. I still remember my dad cashing in all his investments to make sure that I was able to go to college, something he did not have the privilege of experiencing himself. As my daughters approach their college years, I know that I will do all that is within my power to do for them what their grandfather did for me.

The third lesson my dad taught me was how to be a loyal friend. This May my dad and mom celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary by renewing their vows. I was amazed that my dad’s best man and one of his main ushers in the wedding fifty years ago were not only in the renewal ceremony but are still his good friends. I’ve watched these men go through very difficult challenges and yet remain faithful friends.

The fourth lesson he taught me was the importance of serving God and His House (The Church). As a child, I watched my dad play the piano, direct the church choir, be a deacon, teach Sunday School classes, serve as a trustee, and the list goes on. I asked my daughters one day, “How many ministries are you involved in at the church?” One responded four and the other said six. What struck me more than anything is that they thoroughly enjoy serving in God’s House. They have no teenage attitude of whining and complaining! Where did they learn that? They learned it from their dad who learned to serve God with joy from his dad.

While mothers are very important, the longer I pastor the more I believe that the most important person in a child’s life after they become a teenager is their dad or father figure. I thank God for blessing me with a great dad. I thank God for Herman Lloyd Greene. As usual, I invite your thoughts!