A couple of days ago our church celebrated Father’s Day with a good old Aussie barbecue.
Fathers are extremely important in our society and for a long time have not been given the honour and respect they deserve.
Very often when marriages break down, it is the father who pays the biggest price, often being left to struggle financially and only see his children on alternate weekends.
When this happens, the whole family suffers. Why? Because God chose the father/husband to be the spiritual head of his family and endowed each man with the wisdom necessary to manage his family well, provided he is a God-fearing man.
Whereas women can be easily led by their emotions, men have an ability to see things from a wise and level-headed perspective and for this reason alone, are often better decision-makers.
If you are one of those fathers and don’t think you are important, think again.
In the Bible, God instructs fathers not to provoke their children (Eph 6:4) but to train up children in the way they should go. (Prov 22:6) Dads are called to exemplify a good life (2 Cor 3:2-3) provide for their family (1 Tim 5:8) discipline their children (Prov 13:24) and spend time with them to teach them wisdom (Deut 6:6-9).
They are also encouraged to be compassionate, to never give up on their kids and to pray for them (1 Chron 29:19).
God also instructs fathers love their children’s mother (their wife) just as Christ loved the multitude of Christians worldwide known as “the church” and gave His life for her. Husbands are to be willing to give up their own lives if necessary, to preserve the life of their wife.
In short, fathers are to have a nature and behaviour that imitates the Lord Jesus Christ.
Statistics in Texas, USA, reveal that 85 per cent of all youths in prison come from fatherless homes. This in itself should make it abundantly clear, the important role that fathers play in a family.
Therefore, this week I encourage you to take time to acknowledge all God-fearing and good-living fathers in our society.
If you are one of those fathers and don’t think you are important, think again.
Please take a bow and keep on keeping on.
Keep loving your wife, keep loving and nurturing your children and if you have time and the occasion to mentor a young fatherless boy, you may just be saving that young person from a futile adulthood.
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