“As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.” Psalm 103:13
The family has fallen on hard times in North America. And perhaps the single greatest factor is drop-out Dads. Men who have begotten children, yet who are so self-centred, that they refuse to be proper fathers to their children and loving husbands to their wives. Men who live for bigger toys and personal gratification, rather than a commitment to love their wives and children. A report in the United States revealed the following five repercussions of an absentee father: 1. Poverty – Children living in female headed families with no spouse present had a poverty rate of 47.6 percent, over 4 times the rate in married-couple families. 2. Drug abuse – Fatherless children are at a dramatically greater risk of drug and alcohol abuse.” 3. Physical and Emotional Health – Children of single-parent homes are more than twice as likely to commit suicide. 4. Educational Achievement – 71% of high school dropouts are fatherless. 5. Crime – A study of 109 juvenile offenders indicated that family structure significantly predicts delinquency.
And as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we know that the greatest responsibility for fathers is to be spiritual leaders in the home. The movie Courageous that came out a few years ago does a great job of not only revealing the brokenness of this world, but also of holding forth the standard of what a father ought to be according to God’s Word. It ends with several men pledging themselves to a renewed commitment to their wives and families: “I do solemnly resolve before God to take full responsibility for myself, my wife, and my children …”
Finally, our heavenly Father is the great role model of what every earthly father should strive for. He loves His children so much that, though it hurts him, he allows even trials into their lives so they will learn to lean on Him increasingly, and He has demonstrated the magnitude of His love in His willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice for His children’s eternal good! To all earthly fathers, we wish you a Happy Father’s Day!