FATHERHOOD WE WERE CREATED TO BE FATHERS - Part 2

Today we are continuing the blog I started last week entitled “Fatherhood We Were Created To Be Fathers – Part 1”.  Last week I shared when God the Father created us, He gave us what we needed to be effective fathers in our home.  When fathers are present in the home and a part of their children’s lives, kids grow up in stable families.  The opposite is true, when fathers are absent in their children lives, the kids grow up in dysfunctional and disconnected families.  President Barack Obama after he became president started the Fatherhood Initiative.  The reason why he started this initiative is fatherlessness is a growing crisis in America, one that underlines many of the challenges that families are facing.  When dads aren’t around, young people are more likely to drop out of school, use drugs, be involved in the criminal justice system, and become young parents themselves.  President Obama grew up without his dad, and said that being a father is the most important job he has.  That’s why the President is joining dads from across the nation in a fatherhood pledge – a pledge that we’ll do everything we can to be there for our children and for young people whose fathers are not around.  President Obama encourages us to be fathers in our children’s lives.

We also looked at “The Fatherhood Principle” a book written by the late Dr. Myles Munroe.  Dr. Munroe says “The Fatherhood Principle is – The father is the source that sustains, protects, nourishes, and provides identity for that which he produces (children).”  Last week I shared with you the first two points pertaining to fatherhood that we can practice in our home, and today I will share the last two points with you:

1.      Fathers are the source of life for their family. 

(Refer to last week’s blog on June 15, 2015 read this point)

2.      Fathers are the providers for their family.

(Refer to last week’s blog on June 15, 2015 read this point)

3.      Fathers are the protectors for their family.  We were created to protect our family, and as fathers in order to be protectors of our children we must play an active role in their lives.  Whether we are married and have children, or we are single and have children, as fathers we must protect the emotional state of our kids so they can develop stable lives.  One of the ways we can protect our children emotionally is, giving them a sense of security in the family by loving and respecting their mother.   For instance as fathers, the way our children see us treating their mother in the home, will give them a sense of feeling loved and protected in the family.  I remember one Father’s Day we were out of town on vacation as a family, and our son David left me a tribute for Father’s Day on my cell phone.  He told me how he appreciated me being in his sisters and his life, and expressed how he felt loved and protected in our family.  He said he felt a sense of protection because of the way I loved and respected his mom (my wife).   Fathers we have been given the duty to protect our children in our families.

4.      Fathers are the leaders for their family.  Men, we were created to lead our family, especially fulfilling our role as fathers lead our children.  When I talk about being leaders to our children, I don’t mean bossing them around like a dictator, but being examples for our kids to follow.  To lead our children in the right way, we must be willing to serve our family as servant leaders in the home.  A servant leader is someone who serves others out of love, who helps to meet other’s needs, leads others by example, and values their growth.  Fathers our job as servant leaders in the home is to serve our children out of love, help meet their needs, lead them by our example, and help them grow up to fulfill their purpose in life.  My goal as a father and leader in my home is, to prepare my children for life, live in a way that they know I love them, become a role model for them, and desire that they follow my leadership in serving their family.  

Fatherhood is God’s way for us to help our children to develop spiritually, emotionally, relationally, and physically.  I have been blessed to have a father in my life play a major role in my development, but maybe you might say my father wasn’t even in my life to give me support.  All isn’t lost for you because God can give you what’s needed to become a good father.  We were created to lead and father our family, so let’s adhere to “The Fatherhood Principle”, and learn how to become the fathers God intended us to be to our children.

Would love to hear your thoughts, questions, or feedback.