Fathers As Spiritual Leaders

As the title implies, this article is slanted toward you fathers out there, but it should interest the whole family. You see, in a family, the actions of one person can affect the entire family. I am keenly aware of the fact that as a father, my actions can affect my whole family in ways that are either good or bad. Furthermore, I believe that our role as the spiritual leaders at home is perhaps our most important role as Christian fathers.

In Ephesians 6:4, God says: "Fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord" (KJV). The instructions here are twofold. First, God tells us to not provoke our children to wrath. As fathers, we have a lot of power to influence the prevailing climate in our home. Recently, I visited a home in which all the children despised their dad. The wife felt the same way toward him. Though he still lived with his family, tension in the home was always there. I believe that if he could do things over and differently, he would gladly do so.

Secondly, fathers are to bring up their children in the training and instruction of the Lord. In other words, we must raise our children in the nurturing ways of God. Think about it. There is no one who knows more about nurturing children than God does. He has more children than anyone else does. And each of them is a unique case. I know; this is huge but fathers, God is asking us to emulate His ways in parenting our children.

Let me point out that Paul's letter was written to the Christians at Ephesus, so he is talking to Christian fathers. The reason these instructions are so practical is because all Christian fathers have firsthand knowledge of God's nurturing ways. He has been patient with us when we needed Him to be; firm when we needed Him to be; forgiving when we need Him to be; encouraging when we needed Him to be, etc. And He is asking us, excuse me, commanding us to model His ways in rearing our children.

Fathers, let's be careful to not develop a convenient case of Alzheimer's in raising our children. Let me explain. Remember those times when you fought God, and it took Him years to bring you to spiritual maturity in a particular area in your life? Not because He was powerless, but because of His method of parenting.

Well now, God has blessed you with a child who is just as you were when you were young, and you are finding out that you were good at dishing it out (to God), but you can't take it. You are at your wits' end because that challenging teen won't get with the program, and you just want to whip this kid into shape so you can move on with your life. Yeah, like you don't remember what God had to endure in bringing you along. Similarly, you must not give up, but keep nurturing that child in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Fathers, it is vitally important to the spiritual health of our families that we step up to the plate and embrace the calling that God has placed upon us as spiritual leaders at home. It's a big task. Actually, it's bigger than us. But our heavenly and loving Father has nurtured us to this point, and He's the kind of Parent who helps His children succeed in every challenge--even that of parenting. Godspeed.