Steadfast and committed!
Even in some of their most difficult times, some of which included enduring my years as a teenager, they always stood firm.
Growing up, I was an independent spirit. So, even though Dad and Mom were there to teach and guide me, I always had to figure things out on my own. One of the things I figured out, and I’m glad I did, was that they were right.
It’s a story of the older you get, the smarter your parents become.
As I reflect on this month, and Father’s Day in particular, I can’t help but think how true that really is when it comes to my dad and me.
I think back over those days, as I was growing up, and I recall some of the mistakes I made and the valuable lessons I learned from those mistakes. I also think about the things I learned from my dad—things that helped me grow up and mature. For instance, he taught me about faith and how I should never waver in my trust in God and always let the Word be my foundation. And he taught me about fear—and how never to allow it in my life.
What powerful lessons those two things alone have been! But they only scratch the surface of what I have learned from Dad down through the years. I have learned both spiritual and natural things, and they all have made me better in so many ways—including being a father and provider. They have made me a better man! And today, I am passing those same lessons on to my children.
There have never been two sides to my dad. He has always practiced what he preaches. And that has probably impacted me more than anything else. I was inspired just watching how he and Mom lived—never wavering in their faith and trust in God, and always letting the Word be their foundation.
If my dad had not been that way when I was going through those difficult times in my youth, and if he hadn’t truly believed in what he was doing as a minister of the gospel, and been steadfast and committed to what he believed, I honestly do not believe I would be where I am today.
“Never make rash, knee-jerk decisions when the pressure is on. Relax and roll the care of it over on God.”
I’m grateful to God for my dad, and all that I’ve learned from him.
And now I’d like to share some of those things with you. I hope they will bless you and that you will share them with your children.
- “A wise son heeds his father’s instruction, but a mocker does not listen to rebuke” (Proverbs 13:1, New International Version-84).
- When you borrow something, always return it in better condition than when you got it.
- Never put pressure on people. They are not your source. When you have a need, turn to the Word and find a scripture that addresses that need. Then stand on that scripture.
- Don’t seek revenge. Wait on the Lord and He will deliver you.
- Never borrow money. It’s not a sin, but it is not God’s best and it causes you to become a servant to the lender.
- Always tithe! If you don’t it will seem as if you have a bag of money with holes in it.
- Give, especially when you are in financial trouble.
- 8. When God tells you to do something, obey Him and do it then. He is trying to get something to you.
- Never make rash, knee-jerk decisions when the pressure is on. Relax and roll the care of it over on God.
- Always put others first.
- Respect law enforcement officers and the military. Buy their dinner and thank them when you see them.
- Pray for the president and all our leaders—on all levels.
- Don’t give heed to what people say about you—good or bad. Don’t listen to the bad stuff because you might start believing it. Don’t listen to the good stuff because you might start believing it.
- Always tell the truth. There is no such thing as a white lie.
- Keep your word even to your own hurt.
- Always believe the best of people.
- “[God] satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s” (Psalm 103:5, NIV-84). Speak over yourself and say, “My youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
- It is better to give the wrong man a break than to break the wrong man.
- Always be on time.
- Never say, “I can’t afford it.”
- Don’t allow strife to exist in your life—ever!
- Never make a decision based solely on money. Do it based on what the Spirit of God says.
- Do what is right. Do it because it is right. And then, do it right—even when no one is watching.
- Don’t spare the rod. “He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him” (Proverbs 13:24, NIV-84).
- Love people, and let them live their lives. We should not judge, and it is not our place to correct them.
- John Wayne is pretty much the best actor ever!
John Copeland is the former CEO of Kenneth Copeland Ministries and the son of Kenneth and Gloria Copeland. He lives in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.