Fathers Are Relevant Today

The responsibilities of a Father are very important. While cultural changes over the years have shown a lack of emphasis in this area, we must see that this is more of a God-ordained responsibility.Without the Bible and its direction, fatherhood today is virtually unimportant. And with little wonder…24 million children go to bed at night without a biological father in the home. The emotional and consequential repercussions are enormous. Many of these children are being raised through welfare or some sort of social assistance, and the likelihood of developing emotional problems or having the desire to commit suicide increases for children who are without fathers.Fathers really should be the teachers in the family. They face profound challenges in today’s world. In order to meet these challenges and effectively handle the responsibilities, we need to look at what it really means to be a father.

First, fathers must own up to their responsibilities. To fail to acknowledge this is a moral failure…and irresponsible. The father’s role is to support and teach his family, while acknowledging that any accomplishments are not his own, but come from God.

Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus Christ, fathered six or more children. You might ask what Joseph could have taught Jesus? Consider that Joseph, being a devout, righteous man who followed God, had given Jesus instruction to be a carpenter…Jesus had learned a trade, taking on Joseph’s likeness as the carpenter’s son, which honored and respected him as a father, well before Jesus began his earthly ministry (Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3).

Fathers can teach powerful lessons in how they perform, act, and respond to adversity. Fathers can teach forgiveness over practicing vengeance. When fathers cannot be providers or assume the role that God gives them, they tend to disappear and become irrelevant within a family structure. It is important that a father that teaches his children allows for himself to be disciplined, or taught, by God.

Deuteronomy 8:5-6
Keep in mind that the Lord your God has been disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son. So keep the commands of the Lord your God by walking in His ways and fearing Him.

Proverbs 3:11-12
Do not despise the Lord’s instruction, my son, and do not loathe His discipline; for the Lord disciplines the one He loves, just as a father, the son he delights in.

If men are not following God in this way, they cannot properly minister to or give instruction to their family. Unless a man learns how to submit to the authority of Christ, that person will have difficulty submitting to earthly authority or being an effective authority figure in the home. There is no authority except for that which is given by God (John 19:11).

What did Joseph teach his children? Joseph was a conscientious Jew that adhered faithfully to the law (Luke 2:22, 39). Jesus was taught to honor and respect Jewish holidays (John 7:1-10). Joseph demonstrated throughout his household that He was being obedient to God and His word. He and his wide, Mary, did everything that was required of them. He taught Jesus and all of his children (1) to trust God (Luke 1:24; 2:13), and (2) to obey God (Luke 2:19-21).

Children will either behave properly by the way they have been taught, or they will act in rebellion against the improper instruction that they received.

If the proper instruction is given to children by their fathers, it does stick with the children (Proverbs 22:6).

Father, we pray that we, as fathers, are guided through the Holy Spirit to be godly men that provide Your wisdom and instruction to teach our children and bring them up to be godly men or godly women. Thank you, and we pray in Jesus’ name, amen.

On behalf of Pastor Gus Brown and the Akron Alliance family, best wishes to you for a Happy Father’s Day.