It’s that time again. A very special time of the year we have set aside to honor our earthly fathers and to thank them for their dedication to caring for their families the way they do. It certainly goes without saying that we should honor our heavenly Father for His bountiful love each and every day.
As a father I reflect on the many times where I have been blessed to be able to prayerfully steer my children (and now my grandchildren) in a positive direction, I can admit that I wasn’t always right, but I was always there. I want to say to all of the dedicated fathers out there that I salute you for your integrity and inspiration. However, I believe our nation is faced with one of the most dangerous crises it has ever faced: the absence of fathers in homes. Dr. James Dobson once said: “The Western world stands at a great crossroads in its history. It is my opinion that our very survival as a people will depend upon the presence or absence of masculine leadership in millions of homes. I believe, with everything within me, that husbands hold the keys to the preservation of the family.”
I can only say “amen” to what Dr. Dobson has said and add that God has given men a great responsibility in the home. Don’t be afraid to step up and be the man God wants you to be. Your children may not always understand the “why” of your ways but they will certainly cherish your presence in their lives. Mark Twain once said, “When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.” A father dosen’t have to be perfect – he does need to be there.
Did you know that in 1960, the total number of children living in fatherless families was fewer than eight million. Today, that total has risen to nearly twenty-four million. Fathers are shirking their responsibility now more than ever before. Responsibility is learned and it takes resolve and perseverance to meet the problems that life brings. Too many men have simply walked away from their children and left them to navigate the maze of life using their own devices. God is very clear about what He expects from us, “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4, KJV). Men, it is our duty to teach our children to trust in God and to be a faithful prayer warrior…even when things aren’t going well. After all, a father who teaches his children responsibility provides them with a fortune.
So, I bid every “Dad” a wonderful Father’s Day with your families and pray that God will continue His blessings on you!
Great post! I think of my earthly father whose love for our family and faith in God got us through some very hard times. I was abundantly blessed to have had such a dad. He is now with the Lord and we miss him very much. I wrote a eulogy for my dad at http://www.fms-help.com/eulogy.htm.
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