Fathers Are Important
(More Bible Studies Available @ www.marktabata.com)
Proverbs 17:6-Children’s children are the crown of old men, And the glory of children is their father.
In the Bible, we are commanded to honor our fathers and mothers (Exodus 20:12), and this passage from Proverbs reminds us that honor belongs to godly fathers. To be sure, mothers are worthy of honor and esteem: but perhaps many do not have the same regard for godly fathers. Indeed, many have lost sight of the importance of fathers in the home and in society. It is a sad reality that America leads the world in fatherlessness in the modern age.
“America leads the industrialized world in fatherlessness. 31 And among those who have fathers, the average school-age boy in the United States spends just half an hour per week in one-to-one conversation with his father, according to David Walsh, founder of Mind Positive Parenting. “That compares with 44 hours a week in front of a television, video game screen, Internet screen,” he says. “I think that we are neglecting our boys tremendously. The result of that is our boys aren’t spending time with mentors, with elders, who can really show them the path, show them the way of how it is that we’re supposed to behave as healthy men.” 32 The effect of fatherlessness and the lack of rites of passage are underestimated. Boys suffer when there’s no father in the home or no positive male role models in their lives; they start to look for a male identity somewhere else. Some guys find it in a gang, other guys find it in drugs, alcohol, playing video games and objectifying women. Another side effect of fatherlessness is increased incidence of attention and mood disturbances. A 2010 study of more than a million Swedish children age 6 to 19 found that kids raised by single parents were 54 percent more likely to be on ADHD medication. 33 The National Center for Health Statistics reports that children of unwed or divorced parents who live with only their mother are 375 percent more likely to need professional treatment for emotional or behavioral problems. 34”. (Philip Zimbardo, Nikita D. Coulombe, The Demise of Guys: Why Boys Are Struggling and What We Can Do About It, 445-446 (Kindle Edition): TED Conferences)
In God’s design, fathers and mothers make up the moral and spiritual foundation of the home. In Malachi’s time, the husbands were guilty of abandoning their wives and hence breaking up the their families. This was not God’s ideal that He had for the home. So He expresses His anger with these words as He calls them to repentance:
Malachi 2:15 (CEV)-Didn’t God create you to become like one person with your wife? And why did he do this? It was so you would have children, and then lead them to become God’s people. Don’t ever be unfaithful to your wife.
Godly husbands and fathers are worthy of respect and are often in need of encouragement also. This encouragement should come from wives, children, and others.
Fathers, your children need you! Thank you for being good men. May God bless you as you strive to walk His path.
Thank You Father for all the fathers in the world who strive to provide for their children physically, financially, emotionally, and especially spiritually. Please bless them and help us to honor them as we should. We pray this in the name of Jesus, Amen.