Fatherhood

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4).

Fathers are important. For decades, there have been efforts to convince us that fathers and mothers are interchangeable. Yet study after study has shown that children benefit most from having both a mother and a father in their lives.

Satan understands how important fathers are. The devil works tirelessly to split up families. He pits husbands and wives against each other; in some families, the man and the woman fight over who has the last word, while in other marriages there is tension because the father is lazy or frequently absent.

Thanks to the devil, men and women fight over parenting. Who should take time off from work when a child is sick? Who should take little ones to lessons and after-school activities? Who should attend parent/teacher conferences? Who should lay down the law, and who should offer comfort? If a father feels redundant or unimportant, he becomes easy prey to Satan’s whispered suggestion that he leave.

There is more to fatherhood than bringing home a paycheck. There is more to fatherhood than being the family disciplinarian. There is more to fatherhood than scheduling time to watch your son play ball or your daughter compete in gymnastics. There is more to fatherhood than taking the kids out to dinner every now and then.

God expects fathers to be the spiritual head of the family. If the kids don’t make it to church on Sunday morning, God holds their dad responsible. If the kids don’t say grace before eating or pray at bedtime, it is their father’s responsibility to change things. In many families, mom has taken charge of matters relating to church, but God will hold every father accountable for the spiritual development of his children.

This is why Satan wants men to shirk their responsibilities as fathers. God has given each dad the duty to protect his family from the devil’s attacks, but an absent or lazy father leaves his family without the defense they need and deserve. Fathers, honor the family God has entrusted to your care—insist that they attend church with you.