The Role of a Father
What are fathers to do? Who should fathers be like? How should fathers raise their children?
Deuteronomy 6:5-9 is excellent advice for fathers.
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”
Fathers play a crucially important role in society, by being men of faith. And God gave detailed instructions to fathers to help guide them.
The commandments should be part of a father’s heart. When they are part of his heart, the children will capture them by observation. As you share the Word of God with your children, the Word will be impressed on their hearts by your influence.
Impress them on your children. If God's Word is important to you, it will be clearly evident to them. You are making an impression on them. You are molding them by what you teach them daily.
Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Sitting and walking are normal, daily things that we do together as a family. Don’t let talking as a family be a lost art in your home. Loving, attentive family conversation together each day brings up opportunities to show our love for the Lord.
The Bible says to write them on the doorframes. Any wall in the house is a perfect place to hang scripture. “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15) is the scripture that is hung on one of our walls. This scripture plaque has traveled with us from house to house and from place to place wherever we have lived – even around the world. As important family decisions arise, fathers demonstrate to their children that serving the Lord is a choice. “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve” (Joshua 24:15). To serve God is always best.
Is there forgiveness in the home? Is the Lord’s day observed? Is there devotion to God through daily devotions and prayer?
“Tie them as symbols on your hands.” These are visual helps for the whole family. When I was growing up, the WWJD bracelets were the thing to wear (What Would Jesus Do?). Christian T-shirts with scripture are still common. My Aunt always had a stack of Guideposts in her home especially in the guest room for good reading! My father-in-law always had his German Bible and his English Bible side by side, as he studied both of them daily. My mother-in-law always had some Christian Bible commentary next to her Bible as she prepared for a Sunday School lesson she was sharing at church. I remember my mother faithfully bringing Communion to the people who were homebound on Sundays. I can still hear my mother-in-law singing or whistling hymns as she washed the dishes. My husband is always buying one more Bible, comparing versions, and digging for spiritual meaning. These are ways that parents can “write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”
Jesus emphasized that God was our Heavenly Father. He clearly explained God's character, grace and love most often by showing God to be our Father.
Jesus showed how dependent He was on His Father. This is a good example for the fathers of today. Depend on your Heavenly Father. Obey His commandments and do His will. Point others to following Him. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” Happy Father’s Day.
Editor
Published: 06/14/2021
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