The Joys of Fatherhood -
Preparing for Father's Day
"A wise son maketh
a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother."
(Proverbs 10:1)
What a joy to hear the words "'Daddy!'" each day when I arrive home from
work. What a blessed privilege to know that my Heavenly Father entrusts
me to raise three healthy sons in the midst of this dying world! What
an honor to be a "'role model'" to young sons that will soon transition
into young men. It is my behavior, lifestyle, mannerisms, and habits
that they will emulate. It is my responsibility to train them in this
present time in order that they clearly understand their God-ordained
roles as husbands and fathers in the very near future. What a joy, what
a responsibility, what an honor!!
However, it begins before boys become men. This is evidenced in three powerful passages of Scripture, both Old and New Testament:
1. "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he
will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6).
Teach our children about the goodness and glory of God at an early age, so that, peradventure they stray away, they will know to call upon the name of Jesus in times of despair or trouble. The Word says, "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
2. "(As it is written in the law of the Lord, EVERY MALE THAT OPENETH THE WOMB SHALL BE CALLED HOLY TO THE LORD)" (Luke 2:23).
The Word teaches us that every male seed that is birthed into this world is called Holy unto Lord. As it pertains to the firstborn male, as was Jesus' birth (Luke 2:7), we belong to the Lord and are sanctified - set apart - for the Lord. What an impact we can have in this world if we teach our male children, at an early age, about what the Word says about them - AND LIVE IT!
3. Luke 15:11-32 - In this Parable of the Lost Son, the obedience, lifestyle, mannerism, and dutifulness of the older son - the firstborn - was instrumental in assisting his father to win back his youngest son after a bout with riotous living. The older son had recognized the importance of obedience and loyal service all of his life (verse 29). Unbeknownst to him, his younger brother had left home to experiment with unrighteousness. When he realized that unrighteousness and sin was not fruitful, he asked to return home. His father received him with open arms (verse 32), as a loving father should, and comforted his older son by saying, "for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found."
In this parable, this "certain" man is symbolic of the ordained position of fatherhood. Jesus teaches us through parables by using a natural example (a father with two sons - one obedient and one disobedient) to extract a spiritual meaning (the role of a Godly father). Fatherhood is so vitally important to God's plan for redemption and salvation, as demonstrated by this "certain" man who showed compassion (verse 20) for his younger son knowing that he had strayed away from what he was taught. What is important is that he was lost and now he is found.
Jesus Himself expressed the same mandate in Luke 19:10 - "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." Still, he ordered the best robe and held a celebration at this return. The older son's impact on the life of his younger brother must be significant to his return. His example of obedience, loyalty and faithfulness became vivid in the mind of the younger brother when he fell to unrighteousness and felt its pain and discomfort. They both realized that what they learned at home, from their father, has more value than the destruction that the world has to offer.
The joys of fatherhood are never-ending and limitless! Since it is a God-ordained role and responsibility, true fulfillment is the end-result. The only two areas of my life that are more satisfying are my love for God - God is love - and my love for my wife. My challenge to all men is to get in line with God's plan for your life and learn the basics about fatherhood through His Word!
Clearly, the role of the father in the life of his children is critical to their overall well-being. Based upon what I have learned in this chapter, I commit to live in right-standing (righteousness) with God in the following ways:
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Excerpt:
Give God the Glory! The Godly Family Life,
’2005, by Kevin Wayne Johnson.