I don’t often do this, but I am going to speak to a limited audience this week. Everyone is free to read this, however, I want to be right up front. This message is primarily for those of you who are fathers, grandfathers, or hope to be fathers at some point.
God has given to us an amazing opportunity. But with this opportunity comes a daunting responsibility. He has entrusted us with the care and nurture of people who will someday grow up to be leaders in our church. They may hold positions of authority in government or in their workplace. Many of our children and grandchildren will have families of their own, and we set the example of how they will lead those families.
This can place a great deal of pressure on us to get it right. We need to teach our children to be moral men and women. We need to teach them discipline. They need to learn to stand strong for truth, but to do it in an attitude of love. The list of lessons they need to learn from us could go on for a very long time.
It is often overwhelming to think about all that rests on our shoulders to accomplish in the training of those in our care. To add to the stress, we are aware of two more factors. We have a limited time to accomplish this task. Although we never stop being parents, there comes a point as our children reach adulthood, that our role changes. Secondly, we are constantly competing for our children’s attention with a world that holds very different values.
As if this isn’t enough to think about, there is another responsibility we have that far outweighs anything else we do. Early in my journey as a father, someone reminded me that the image my children have of God is formed by the image they have of me.
In Scripture, God is often identified as our Heavenly Father. This is very purposeful. Many of the responsibilities I mentioned above are ideals God desire for us to learn from him. It is also important to understand Gods’ purpose in designing the family. As fathers, our role is to be spiritual leaders in our home. It is remarkable to me that this responsibility was established at creation before sin entered the human heart. In other words, our leadership was initiated by God not to keep a sinful wife and children in line. God’s purpose was that we provide a nurturing and encouraging atmosphere in which our families can grow and flourish.
With this understanding, it’s time for some introspection. If my children form their image of God from what they see modeled in my life, what does God look like to them? Is he a guide that directs their choices in ways that protect them from the harm Satan can do? Or is God a stern taskmaster that demands obedience out of fear? Do our children see God as interested in their lives or as one who is distant and to busy to be available for them? If I am their example, do they recognize God as the source of love and acceptance or is he angry and unapproachable.
No matter how hard we try, we will never be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect. God knows this and our children will understand it. However, the more Christlike we become, the better chance our kids and grandkids will have in establishing a proper picture of the character of God. Although this is a formidable task, it is not an impossible task. With God as my helper, I can live a life that represents him well. If I strive for consistency in pursuing righteousness, those times of failure will be recognized as an oddity rather than the norm. God can even use those as opportunities for our children to witness our humility as we ask for forgiveness for our failures and patience as we allow God to help us do better.
Being a dad is a privilege. God has placed us in a very important position. With his help, we can fulfill the role to which he has called us.