 Not enough is being said and done to honour spiritual fathers in our nation.
Last month, NECF Malaysia had the opportunity to honour our immediate past chairman, Rev. Datuk Prince Guneratnam, for his memorable contributions to NECF over the past 12 years. During dinner, we had the rare opportunity to see all three NECF chairmen – two past and the present one (yours truly) – fellowshipping together.
Datuk Prince commented that it was such a blessing to see “no strife” in NECF’s leadership succession, and indeed it was a blessing to see the “precious oil upon the head, running down …” (Psa. 133).
I went away from the dinner thinking what a privilege it was to honour the spiritual fathers of our nation.
The Bible exhorts us to honour those who deserve honour. We are urged to overwhelm our leaders with appreciation and love! “And now friends, we ask you to honour those leaders who work so hard for you, who have been given the responsibility of urging and guiding you along in your obedience. Overwhelm them with appreciation and love!” “ 1 Thess. 5:12–13a (MSG)
What happens when spiritual fathers take their place in our nation? I believe:
- Prodigal sons will return;
- His Church will enjoy stability and security. No pastor or church need feel alone in his ministry. Many do not have the benefit of the fathers’ wisdom and encouragement;
- Pastors and workers will enjoy ‘added safeguard’ against moral failure. Fathers are there to provide checks and balances, and wise counsel when one is drawn away;
- Spiritual fathers are the ones God will use to sustain revival. We have been praying for years for a sovereign move of God in our nation, but what happens after He has poured out His Spirit on our nation?
Our churches, in their present state, will be hard pressed to sustain any move of God; and
• “City fathers” will emerge to lead His Church to focus on nationhood. The walls between churches will fall; churches will be more united, and can be challenged to co-operatively work on larger issues such as nation building.
But why is it that leaders and pastors today do not adequately recognise and honour spiritual fathers?
Sadly, what Apostle Paul lamented in 1 Cor. 4:15 appears to be still true – there are many instructors, but few fathers.
Perhaps we are part of the problem? So many of us are just too busy with our own churches and church activities that we don’t see taking time and initiative to honour fathers as important for our spirituality.
It could also be that we have not been able to see past the quirks and ‘splinters’ in our spiritual fathers’ eyes. We are ignorant of what God has been doing in the lives of these honourable men – we have forgotten they are human too and have their own personal struggles.
And we are not as forgiving as we like to think. Also, if we are honest, there may be jealousy – let us not be quick to dismiss this. Possibly too, many have not benefited from spiritual fathers within their our own churches and consequentially, we don’t see the need to be spiritual fathers.
Doubly tragic is that we ourselves, whilst not recognising spiritual fathers in our lives and in our nation, are reluctant to rise up and be one.
I have observed that workers with spiritual fathers in their lives tend to finish well (in their spiritual walk).
Where the hearts of the fathers have turned to the children, let there also be a corresponding turning of the hearts of the children to their fathers (Malachi 4:6).
Let us honour those who deserve the honour.
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