A Father can be described in many ways and the Bible shows him as the head of the family, the ruler, and provider, and as he who trains his children in the fear God. Our Heavenly Father is defined as creator, protector, life giver and healer. The names of God are an inexhaustible list.
In Isaiah 9: 6, He is called, Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Fathers are to train up their children in the way they should go and when they are old, they will not depart from them- Proverbs 22: 6.
The Israelites were commanded to teach their children the laws of God.
Deut. 4:9, “Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen and lest they depart from thine heart all the days of thy life: but teach them to thy sons and thy sons’ sons. One of the things that parents should always do is to teach their children to love God and obey His commandments.
Being a father is great responsibility. It takes more than just bringing them into the world, it is a lifetime commitment. A lot of children when they are grown will still need their parents in many ways. Some seek advice in different matters of their lives. Others need help in different areas of their lives. It seems we never lose our need for parental guidance.
Fathers are not very patient today with children. They expect them to know everything we want them to do. We also forget that they have feelings.
A good thing to teach your children is love and how to express their love by showing them love. Don’t just say well, they know I love them and expect that to take the place of a hug or a kind word or just saying I love you and I am proud of you.
The Apostle John said in 1John 4:16 “ And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him. Children need to know they are loved, that way they will learn to express love for others. Sometimes we expect too much from our children and show little or no affection towards them.We sometimes forget how long it took us to master the things we know. Ephesians 6:4 “ And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” Colossians 3:21 “Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.”
These scriptures should be guidelines for us to go by all the time. We as Fathers are not taskmasters but leaders by example. A lot of sons follow in the footsteps of their fathers like the old saying monkey see, monkey do. That is not always the case, some stray from the teachings of their fathers because that’s good is according to what they were taught and not exemplified by their fathers. We should teach and train our children to work hard and earn things they want in life. If our children are always given without being taught to work and also give to others who are in need, they will always expect things from people and this is very dangerous for both themselves and the society. There is nothing wrong with giving to our children because it shows them how much we love them, but if they don’t learn to depend on their own abilities to provide for themselves, they will always be dependent on others. The parents, particularly the fathers must teach their children to imbibe the following principle;
In church, children must be taught to worship. We must teach them by example. They need to see us worship. The greatest responsibility of a father is to lead his children to the kingdom of God in heaven. We rely upon our Heavenly Father to provide guidance by His word. We learn to be givers by His example of giving. You see, God doesn’t tell us to do something that He hasn’t already experienced Himself. He taught us how to pray- Matt.6:7-13. He too made the most of all the opportunities He had while here on earth to pray. God is a dangerous giver and He gave all to us in Christ- John 3:16.
A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just- Proverbs 13:22. The inheritance a good man leaves to his children is not monetary, but moral, a good name, a good reputation, a purpose driven life and good legacies. We must leave a legacy of discipline. Discipline is enforced obedience. We must also leave a legacy of wisdom.
Finally, a godly father is described as:
- A man of knowledge.
- A man moved by faith.
- A man fired by love.
- A man like God.
- A man who is passionate about the worship of God.
- A man who serves God and not man.
- A man who is entirely committed to Jesus Christ.
- A man who can mourn and weep for sin.
- A man who loves the Word of God.
- A man who is daily infilled with the Spirit of God.
- A man of humility
- A man of prayer
- A man of sincerity
- A man of patience
- A man who is zealous for God
- A man who is always thankful
- A man who hates sin and lives in holiness.
- A man who cherishes godly relationships.
- A spiritual man.
- A man who walks daily with God.
- An influencer who leads others to God.
- A man who lives and radiates love.
Fathers are all enjoined to be godly in their dispositions relationships and in every other aspect of life. We love and appreciate all fathers for the sacrificial roles they have continued to play. God Almighty will preserve them to eat the fruits of your labour in Jesus name.