"Only fools refuse to be taught" the Bible says. "Listen to your father, for he shall be an ornament of grace to you."
Where do I possibly begin with this article? How can I, in a few paragraphs, come even remotely close to describing the incredible impact that my dad made on my life? I fear that I may be taking on a subject which I can in no wise address to its deserving fullness. However, I shall endeavor to achieve my intended goal of presenting (hopefully to some degree of success) the amazing qualities of and life lessons taught to me by a simple country preacher and family man. A man of whom I was blessed far above and beyond that which my writing abilities are capable of sufficiently describing to have been able to call - "Dad."
The earliest memory I have of my dad is when I was probably just two or three years old and I remember it vividly. I was "driving" down the sidewalk in my little pedal car just as fast as my tiny legs and feet could turn the pedals when suddenly my car and I tipped over. As I lay there crying I looked up and saw my dad running toward me with outstretched arms. He bent down and gently picked me up and suddenly, just like magic, everything was ok. I knew that I was safe and secure in my daddy’s arms.
Very early on my dad taught and instilled in me things which in those days were common courtesies such as to answer my elders with "Yes Sir" and "Yes Ma’am." He taught me to open a door for a lady. I was taught to "ask" to be excused from the dinner table. As I grew and matured he taught me to stand up for the truth. He taught me to admit my mistakes and learn from them. My dad taught me that whenever you borrow something from someone always return it to them in better condition then it was when you borrowed it. He taught me to always be honest and never cheat anyone. Several years ago I went to a car-wash. When I put a five dollar bill in the machine to get five dollars worth of quarters it dispensed eight dollars in quarters. I made it a point to track down the owner and when I did I explained to him what had happened and handed to him the extra three dollars in quarters that the machine had given me. He just stood there with his mouth hanging open and a bewildered look on his face.
Never did dad or mother have to tell us twice to do something. We were told once, and we did it. Not out of "fear" but out of "respect." Christ was one child Who knew more than His parents - yet He submitted to them. Today it is the other way around with parents submitting to the children. Everywhere I go I see parents who tell their child to do something and the child doesn’t even move. Or they tell them to "stop" doing something and the child just keeps right on doing it. Fifteen minutes later the parents are still saying "I’m not going to tell you again." Thirty minutes later they are saying "I’m warning you, this is the last time I’m going to tell you." An hour later the parents are trying to "bargain" with the child - "If you’ll do what mommy and daddy say then we will take you out for ice-cream later." The reason so many parents no longer lead their children in the right direction is because they aren’t going that way themselves. Scripture plainly teaches that "if you refuse to discipline your child, it proves that you do not love them; for if you love them you will be prompt to discipline them" (Proverbs 13:24).
My dad taught me the Bible, showing me that the Bible is a window in this prison world through which we may look into eternity. "You have only one lamp to guide you through life" he said, "and that lamp is the Word of God. He will instruct you and guide you along the best pathway for your life." My dad taught me not to be surprised or discouraged by the fiery trials and tribulations that I would most certainly encounter in life. "Be grateful for them" he said, "those times will strengthen you, they will build your faith, they will draw you closer to Christ, they will make you a partner with Him in His sufferings." Indeed, the Bible does instruct us to trust Christ in times of trouble, for He will rescue us, and He will be glorified.
My dad was also a man of incredible faith. True faith is telling a mountain to move and being shocked only if it doesn’t. That was the kind of faith my dad had. "Your faith, (he said), is what leads you to take up the Cross. Your love for Christ and for others, (he said), is what binds the Cross to your soul. And your patience (he said), allows you to bear that Cross to the end." Not once did I ever see my dad lose his patience. He said "If a person truly gives the Lord complete control over their heart then they must also allow Him complete control over their tongue." The Bible itself teaches that "it is better to be slow-tempered and have self-control than to control an entire army." It also says that "a wise man controls his temper." Scripture further states that it is with "patience" that we bring forth good fruit, and that it is through patience and comfort of the Scriptures that we have hope. Through his life-long example, my dad taught me the virtue of "patience."
My dad also taught me that if you want your neighbors to know what the Lord will do for them, let them see and hear what He has done for you. He taught me to do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can. "Remember (he said), always live as a Christian should, standing strong with one purpose - to tell the Good News of Jesus Christ and do so fearlessly, no matter what your enemies may do." As Christians God does not call us to a playground but to a battleground, and not everyone will receive God’s Word. My dad once told me, "There will always be those who reject the Bible, and you will find that those who reject the Bible do so not because it contradicts itself but rather, because it contradicts them and the way that they want to live."
My dad taught me strong moral values. He taught me to be compassionate, he taught me the meaning of love. The Christian values that I carry with me every day of my life did not come from some politician, or from the school system, or from the legal system. They came from one single book--the Bible. The values that I live by came from God the Father, taking deep root in the heart of my human earthly father, and then instilled in me.
These few examples of the things that my dad taught me are everlasting and have influenced my life in many great and powerful ways. This now brings me back full circle to the story at the beginning of this article when I wrecked my little pedal car and my dad picked me up and comforted me. From that I learned what my dad was teaching me all through his life which is this; that no matter what happens, if I give it all to Jesus He will come to me with outstretched arms, gently pick me up, and there in His arms I will be safe and secure for all eternity!
Thank you dad!
God bless you,
Mark Shutts
