Check out this quote by the late Dr. Russ Frase in his work “Fight for Integrity”: “The blessing of our integrity will outlive us and guide others in the right path long after we are dancing on the streets of gold. The impact and influence are eternal.” I thought of my dad, Jerry Bauer. My dad has been in Heaven since 2015, but his integrity, righteousness, and selfless character guide me, even to this day. Twice in Psalm 112, we read this description of the man of God: “His righteousness endures forever” (verses 3 and 9); and verse 6 reads, “The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.”
Don’t misunderstand me on this one: I’m not suggesting
that my dad was some sinless super saint while he was on planet Earth. That’s not what I’m saying at all. Dad wasn’t perfect; he made mistakes. No one can make such a claim of sinless
perfection. We all stumble, fall down,
and fall short. I know I sure do. But Jerry Bauer, my father, was transformed
by the power of Jesus Christ and the truth of the gospel. And, as I started with from the quote from
Dr. Frase, Dad’s integrity motivates me.
I want to live a life of integrity, selflessness, humility, and virtue
as he did.
Incidentally, Dad would be so uncomfortable with all the
praise I’m giving him. I can practically
hear him saying, “Shine that limelight away from me. Put it on God.” But the Bible says to honor your father and
your mother. So for today, I’m honoring
my father, Jerry Bauer. He is a man who
deserves to be honored, for many more reasons than I’m able to give today. I often think of the words Dad said in his
sign-off of his radio broadcast. As I
see the continued unexpected twists and turns in my own life, I hold on to
these words. He said, “God bless. Keep your hand in His hand, and keep on
keeping on.”
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Kevin
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