The Breakfast Club is one of the most popular teen films of all time. Set in the mid-80s, it's the story of five students from different social strata in high school, and their journey of self-discovery during nine hours of Saturday detention. There are two highly popular kids, the “social princess” and the “ buff athletic jock.” Then there are the kids on the outer fringes of school society, the “brainy nerd,” the “campus basketcase,” and the rebellious, defiant “misfit.”
At first they regard each other with contempt and exchange verbal putdowns. It doesn't appear that they have anything in common, but as time passes, they become increasingly self-disclosing as they engage in various activities. At the end of the day, in transparent discussion they discover that they all share a powerful need in common: to be accepted and validated for who they truly are by their parents.
In compelling ways, this unmet need has shaped the personality and behaviors of each student. The “jock” and “brain” are both trying to live up to incessant demands to perform by their fathers. The “basket case” has adopted aberrant behavior to attract the attention of her neglectful parents, while the “misfit” is venting his anger toward his physically and emotionally abusive father in rebellion toward all authority figures. The “princess” struggles with her privileged image that masks the reality of her parents failing marriage.
All of them are longing to be accepted, wanted, belong to and connect with their parents. With this longing unmet, each has embarked on a life journey to find some way to fulfill that longing without success. This quest will continue to dominate the rest of their life whether they realize it or not. And the only thing that can fulfill their longing is the “father's blessing.”
A father's role is to protect, provide, bless, and establish his children's identity. From the beginning, Father God intended that the father’s blessing would impart deep into the heart of each one of us His image of our identity (Who am I?) and our destiny (Why am I here?).
Father God modeled giving the father’s blessing after creating Adam and Eve. “Then God blessed them and said, ‘Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.” (Genesis 1:28) In this blessing, He established both their identity and their destiny.
Fathers bestowing blessings on their children was a common practice in ancient times. In Scripture, there are examples of the father’s blessings being passed from one generation to the next. By what they say and do, fathers signal to their children whether or not they are accepted and valued. Too many people today never receive their father’s blessing.
To all of you who've never received a father's blessing, hear the words of Father God: “May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you His favor and give you His peace.” (Numbers 6:24–26) in summary, Father God is saying, “I love you. You're terrific and you’re mine.”
Please join us this Sunday at 9:00 AM or 11:00 AM for the conclusion of our LeaderShift Conference. We will be having special speakers at each service: Lisette Malmberg at 9:00 AM, and Brian Simmons at 11:00 AM.
Pastor Che
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