Fathers are vital in providing definition to life and assist in setting children on the path to fulfilling their destinies. The prisons are full of fatherless children who grew up lacking the structure and discipline needed to cope with life. Many women engage a multiplicity of sexual partners while those who have even tried to settle down with husbands have frustrated marriages because the breach in their hearts caused by the lack of being fathered. They in return place unreasonable demands on the unsuspecting husbands who must compensate for the unspoken request yearning within the heart of the little girl who is crying out because she wants to be daddy’s little princess.
Society does not develop in a vacuum. There are extenuating circumstances that contribute to things being as they are. Yet it is the responsibility of spiritual visionaries to look beyond the crisis in order to see God’s answer rather than merely parroting the statistics. If things continue without any change in how fathering is to be practiced and if there is no emphasis on strong ministry to men in general, the stability of society will completely degenerate. We are on a collision course headed towards destruction as the family unit is being redefined by godless individuals who find justification in practice rather than principle. Truth is ignored and common sense has shifted to the bizarre ways of the uncommon.
Culture is “the symbols of expression that individuals, groups, and societies use to make sense of daily life and to articulate their values. The rhythm of the beat of culture is set by fathers who interpret the symbols to their children. As God would speak by the prophets to the fathers and allow the fathers to interpret His Word to the families, we know God as Father through the fathers given to us.
It is father that instills within the soul of individuals the drive to become what each of us were intended to become. In the eyes of children, he is strong, courageous, and provides security through his very presence. He doesn’t have to say much, or even do much. Just being there adds the balance that would otherwise be lacking. His instructions were meant to stabilize the family when crisis occurs. It is the support of the wife that reinforces the respect that he justly deserves. Children learn to respect authority through the disciplines practiced within the home. The crisis among our youth today often can be directly associated to either the father figure missing, not fully understanding his role, or not adequately respected within the family structure. When I dedicate children to the Lord, I always emphasize the importance of creating an environment of love and respect at home for the sake of these precious children. They are like a canvas awaiting the artist to interpret values on its surface that will define the very meaning of life.
Fathers have the responsibility to know the Father of fathers. Since fatherhood represents the origin or the sending source from which all that comes from him is launched, it is necessary to know and honor the Source of life. Our being fathers is a derivative of God as our Father. As fathers provide security, stability, and is the authority that deserves proper respect, knowing God as Father is the only sure way for fathers to effectively govern their families. What is required of every father is a gift given to him by God alone. Jesus introduced His Father to those who followed Him. His intention was for them to know the Father. Our culture today is working to eliminate the very core of civilization in search of self-realization. It is trying to find identity devoid of the Source of life. The denied Father has given way to a violent society in search of meaning. Each individual is left to redefine life through his own experiences and need to belong. The collision course of self-willed, liberated from all constraints individualists are set for self-destruction. Something has to be done about this. Something must be done! The prophet Malachi spoke of the last days. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.” Mal 4:5-6
Fathers must take the lead in knowing the Lord for the sake of their children. The hearts of fathers will then be turned to their children thus opening the door for conversions to occur among them. We need a movement among men within the churches that will challenge men to live with the future generation in mind. We also need wives who will support the vision and lovingly under gird and support their godly husbands producing an atmosphere for the raising of a generation of godly children.