Firstly, I want to thank God for every father whom God has used to bring us into the world.
Often times we hear of irresponsible fathers and few notes were ever written to appreciate responsible fathers.
To all fathers who doted on their children, to the ones who are always there to share their moment of joy and pain; who never abdicate their responsibilities to their wives no matter what happens to them.
To all fathers who taught their children what it means to never pass the buck, I salute you.
To fathers who show their children the path of righteousness, and see them established in faith. Your record is noticable before Christ.
To every father who knows how to discipline their children when necessary even through different strokes as painful as it was and still is but it saved many from self destruction on the long run. Thank you.
To every father who taught their children especially their sons how to honour women and treat women special I celebrate you.
To fathers who when they had the reasons to divorce their wives in the moment of madness of life endure the pain and challenges of life in their marriages looked on their children and say “you know what, I will give it another try” and today the children are strong to never throw in the towel at every crisis point in their lives too. You are wonderful.
To every father who even after the divorce as painful as it is, never give up on their children. To those of you who says that “I may not be the husband to my wife now BUT I am still the father to my children and my responsibilities are mine forever… You are not forgotten.
To fathers who showed their daughters what it means to be a man and gave these daughters lessons of manhood before they ever met a man outside their home, may God continue to bless you.
To fathers who understand that giving gifts to children is not a replacement for being there for them you are preciously celebrated today.
To fathers who showed their sons that being a man does not mean that you cannot cook in the kitchen, clean the house, cry if necessary, laugh and have serious fun, be friendly and respectable, contribute to the wellbeing of others outside their home. We thank God for your lives.
These men are still in our societies all over the world and may we never forget to take our hats off for them in appreciation today!
All these are attributes of fathers who are connected to God because I believe that our human nature is selfish and self-centred. It is only interested in self alone.
Today as we celebrate father’s day, I want to remind you that whether you were born through natural conception or by IVF, you are a product of a father.
Whether you like your dad or not you came from his loin and what he was or is, is what you will be to an extent. Whether you like it not.
Fish gives birth to fish to behave like a fish.
In the animal kingdom, various animals with their distinct behavioural pattern gives birth to it’s kind to have the same behavioural pattern.
We human being are created with the same features except for our will to change what we do not like from experience of our past life and we can only do this victoriously through the wonderful power of Redemption e.g. If a person is from a family where the father was abusive to women, uncaring by nature to children and never hug his wife or children. The children from such a home will continue such behaviour whether they like it or not. Not because they wanted to but it is in their gene. Alcoholic father often produce at least an alcoholic son
To change such is to have an experience of a new life that Christ purchased for humanity at Calvary. Psychology can help the mind but can never help the heart of a man. Psychological treatment can calm the mind down and make you reason why you are like that and give you treatment for the mind but it cannot help you defeat the demons of your father in you. The demons of abuse and fear that drove him to act wickedly against the ones he loved is in your unbroken flesh.
The first father of human race Adam produced a murderer son as a result of sinful nature. Genesis 4:1-15. Whatever is born from the sinful nature can never be pure. It is already polluted.
Sin pollutes and only through the precious Blood of Jesus Christ can the nature be cleansed.
Ladies and gentlemen, to be a father that is worth celebrating not only by your children but by your generation and the one to come through the work done by your children (after all everyone heard of the father of President Obama) good or bad the following truths need to be address:
· Get to know God as your own father.
You cannot father any child successfully without being connected to your spiritual root. By this I mean connected to God the Father through Jesus Christ.
Human fathers are limited in thoughts and actions but our heavenly Father is unlimited in knowledge, understanding and wisdom and through Him, all fathers derive their names.
· Get to know your child
Every child is different and assuming knowledge of your child is dangerous. The more time you spend with him or her helps you to know the child. Also through prayer, God reveal to you your child and His purpose for your child on earth.
This is a serious issue that most fathers are not prepared for because of busy lifestyle. Making money that most of their families never enjoy anyway. Yes your money can pay the bills but never bring joy and happiness to you. It can buy the bed but will not make you sleep on it.
Children you are there for today, are the harvest of your future!
· Develop interest in their interest.
The reason why children love their mothers is not because they pamper them only on the contrary. It is because mothers are interested in their interests.
Mothers will be there on sport days, special occasions; they are interested in their dates, friendships, pains, education etc…. and so if such children are disciplined by such mothers they take it as painful as it is. To discipline a child you are not there for is abuse of right of fatherhood. Yes you can discipline your child but you will provoke such child to wrath. Ephesians 6:4.
· Be a providing father.
Every king provides for their subjects at least that is how it is supposed to be! If you are a king and not the provider, there will be constant revolt in that kingdom and to make it worse if you them placed a terrible tax over the citizens, there will be crisis.
Many fathers have left the aspect of provision to their wives and the children know this. To even make it worse such fathers now demand from their children percentage of their children’s income monthly (from certain part of the world from knowledge) they call it food money when the word of God teaches us that a good man leaves inheritance for his children’s children. These are fathers who even to pay school fees was done by mothers, rent by mothers etc….
It is a joyful and rewarding thing to provide for your home. A man who is not providing is worse than an infidel (1 Timothy 5:8). Yes at time finances are tight and your wife support and yes she should support for the progress of the family but she is not to carry your responsibility of being the provider.
· Lead by example.
Every child looks up to his or her father to give leadership in life. If you are a lazy father, your children will believe that is how all fathers are until the day they meet another father who is zealous and industrious. If you beat their mother in their presence or behind their back, they will believe that is how marriage is to be and continue such lifestyle after all that is how you too probably saw it done.
Lead your family to prayer, lead in serving in the house of God, stand out to honour men/women of God not to destroy them behind their back and in the presence of your children and then smile when you see the ministers. You have sown hypocricy to their spirit and you wonder why they are not interested in God? If you are not a giver to God’s House. Your children will do likewise, if you are not interested to lead the family to service that it is their mother, it is a challenge for some of the mothers to take their children because their dad is at home watching TV and when their is crisis mother is the one to cry to God! Start today to lead by example and see miracles in your lives. Remember you produce your kind.
Be a “leader” dad and not a “follower” dad.
Finally, if you do not like the music you are dancing to in life, change it now while you still can do it. A time is coming when it will be too late.
Happy Fathers Day! May your children know the joy of celebrating you more next year should the good Lord tarry!
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