Men's Minister Says Father's Day Has Spiritual Significance for All
by Rusty Pugh
June 17, 2005
(AgapePress) - The men's pastor at California's Saddleback Church says for many people, Father's Day is a reminder of what is missing in their lives.
Kenny Luck, who heads the men's ministry at Saddleback, is also president of Every Man Ministries. He says children crave the attention and affirmation of their fathers, but far too many people suffer from their father's absence or rejection instead.
This is a critical issue, Luck says, because fathers are crucial to their children's emotional and spiritual growth. That is why, he points out during an Associated Press interview, it is so important for fathers to make time to spend with their children.
"When young daughters and sons don't get time," the pastor notes, "and that's the real issue with dads -- if they don't get him, there's a big question mark that comes over their heads -- 'Am I worthy of love?'"
And when children have a sense that they lack their father's love, Luck asserts, this can lead to destructive and dangerous spiritual choices, as these children grow up seeking to fill the void created by their perception of being without the love they need. "If they don't get it," the minister contends, "they will go look for it in other ways, through other means, through other negative expressions."
The presence of a father and a positive connection to him can be a critical factor in a child's life, Luck asserts. "So, yes," he adds, "in terms of the emotional, spiritual, relational formation of every child, Father's Day is, in that sense, a most important day."
God provided restoration in Luck's own life, he says, healing him from the pain he suffered from the neglect of an alcoholic father. The Bible promises, the pastor notes, that God will be "a father to the fatherless" and also offers assurance that "though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me."
Rusty Pugh, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
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