Ministers Blogs
“You are Fathers”
A man I knew had a military background. He ruled over his family with an iron fist. In a counseling session with him and his wife, he demanded that I tell her “the Bible teaches that I am the head of the house!” “Actually,” I told him, “you’re not.” We read together from I Corinthians 11:3. “But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.” It’s true that God holds a man accountable for his family and gives him the authority to oversee it – but the head of every family is Christ! The most important role that God gives to fathers is the spiritual leadership of their family. I thank God for Christian mothers. The truth is that many homes would have no Christian influence or training if it was not for them. Often, they are the ones who see to it that the children are taken to Bible study and church. They are the ones who tell the children Bible stories and listen to their prayers at night. I know many women who have raised faithful Christian children without the help of a husband and father. But, it is difficult and not the way God intends for it to be. In Ephesians 6:4 Paul makes a very direct charge to dads: “And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the training and admonition up in the training and admonition not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.” How does God measure my faithfulness to Him? One way is, by the way, I lead my family in following Him. In Genesis 18:19, we read one of the reasons Abraham was approved by God. “I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice.”
As fathers, we must provide leadership for our families. It is up to us to determine what our family believes and stands for. As Joshua challenged Israel “Choose you this day whom you will serve, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!” (Joshua 24:15) How can we, as fathers be a spiritual leader in our home? First, by teaching. God commanded fathers to make His will known to their children. (Psalm 78:5-6; Isaiah 38:19). He told the fathers of Israel to lay up His words in their hearts and to “teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.” We share things we enjoy with our children. We talk to them about sports, we teach them to drive a car and to hunt. But are we training them in the way of the Lord? Christian fathers must study God’s word and teach it to their children! Second, by example. In Deuteronomy 32:7, we are told “ask your father, and he will show you.” Our own example is the strongest leadership that there is. Do you pray with your children? Are you taking an active role in the church? As your children observe you day in and day out, do they know you to be a man of integrity – honest in all of your dealings? Pure in your language, attitudes, and habits? Fathers, God has given us a tremendous responsibility! It’s time for all of us to say “as for me and my house – we will serve the Lord!” (author unknown)
