Family is important. The role of a father is important.
Mother’s Day is one of the most popular holidays out of the year yet Father’s Day ranks 18th.
Nevertheless parents are an important fabric of a successful society.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau in 2022, 18.4 million children, 1 in 4,
live without a biological, step, or adoptive father in the home.
Statistics from the National Fatherhood Initiative state that when a child is in a absent-father home the child is: 4x greater risk of poverty, more likely to have behavioral problems, more likely to go to prison, more likely to commit crime, 7x more likely to become pregnant as a teen, 2x more likely to suffer obesity, and 2x more likely to drop out of school.
Having a father in the life of a child is really irreplaceable.
We must remember for those who have lost a parent that we can still help those in need.
We must recognize those without fathers, children especially, need extra love and encouragement.
A good relationship with a parent begins with time.
You have to know what they like and dislike.
Nothing is better in the face of a child seeing their father in the stands.
Out of all of the love languages, we can see that quality time can be really important.
There is a place for gifts and words of affirmation, but many kids need quality time.
In the Bible a father that we can see who was very good was Abraham, and another father that was bad was Lot.
In fact this man Lot gave Abraham a lot of trouble.
He was living in a very sinful city named Sodom,
God was about to destroy the city and we read, “Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, and said, “Up, get out of this place, for the Lord will destroy the city.”
But he appeared to his sons-in-law to be jesting.” (Genesis 19:14 NASB1995).
Sadly his sons-in-law thought that he was joking about the city being destroyed.
We are called to teach one another of the word and we do this by taking time for God.
We need to of course show kindness - go to the movies, go eat together, but also a father should take time to read the Bible with his family together.
The father does not have to have all of the answers for an eloquent sermon.
He doesn’t need all of the correct answers - he just needs to be the one to schedule a time to study the Bible together.
This could be thirty minutes every week after dinner.
A good father should also read the Bible openly at the house.
What is one thing you actually say - something but when your family sees you doing something they will be more inspired.
This is the best way to lead.
Fathers are important. Mothers are important.
God wants us to know who He is.
Parents are the best way to learn about who God is.
