Fatherhood - Why Is It Important

Fatherhood – Why is it Important?

“Train up a child in the way he should go,

And when he is old he will not depart from it. ” Proverbs 22:6 (NKJV)

Statistics of families without fathers

In 2014: 24% (17.4 million) children live in a home without a father

living in a single-parent home doubles the risk that a child will suffer physical, emotional, or educational neglect.

Gun carrying & drug trafficking are much more likely to happen with children in fatherless homes

The number of children with an imprisoned father grew 79% between 1991 and 2007.

63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes – 5 times the average

90% of all homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes – 32 times the average.

80% of rapists with anger problems come from fatherless homes –14 times the average.

71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes – 9 times the average.

85% of youths in prisons grew up in a fatherless home.

To get to the best answer to this epidemic we need to learn more about the biblical structure of the family. Any successful family has to have a leader. God's Word clearly tells us that the leader of the family is to be the husband/father. This doesn't mean that wives/mothers are inferior, only that they have different responsibilities. If a husband & wife have a healthy relationship they make decisions together looking to Jesus as the ultimate head of their home. If we look to the fact that God made Jesus as a man it naturally means that He wants the leaders of family to be the man. The spiritual leader of the family should imitate Christ & be aware of his family's needs. He looks for ways to help his wife & children grow in their relationship with God. He is ready to protect, help, & defend. He is willing to do anything he has to do for those who have been entrusted to his care by God.

Moses wrote instructions on what fathers should do for their children. Fathers were to diligently teach their children the ways of God. In Deuteronomy it is written, “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children.” (Deuteronomy 6:6-7) Fathers are to know God's Word, study it, teach it to their children, & be involved with them every day. Proverbs 22:6 instructs us to, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Mothers & fathers are to lead their children down the path in which they should go. The word “train” in the original Hebrew is the verb “hanak” which means “channeling the child's conduct into the way of wisdom”. We are to dedicate him or her to God to prepare the child for future responsibilities and adulthood.

We don't have to teach our children how to be bad. As parents it is our job to teach them to be good; to show them the way they should go. We want them to do what is godly & right so they will succeed in life. Younger children are more able to be trained in the way they should go. If we don't take them in hand, and show them clearly the way they should go; they will go down the wrong path. The enemy is very active in the world today & will take them. We can ask ourselves, what is meant by training up a child in the way he should go? Training consists of three things — teaching, discipleship, and prayer.

Teaching - True teaching is in relations to God and man. Fill children's minds with the truth. Let them know God's idea of all that it is right to do; both with respect to God and with respect to man, that they be not destroyed for lack of knowledge.

Discipleship - To tell a child what is to be done is a very valuable thing, but to show how it is done is more memorable. They can then see the concept in practice. Being shown the effectiveness of these principles they are far more likely to remember them when making major decisions later in life. A picture is worth a thousand words.

Prayer - We are not left to this work alone. There is no one in which you may count on to help more than our Heavenly Father. Raising children is a great blessing & responsibility He gives us. He Himself is concerned for the future of your children. They are His gifts to you, and are meant to be great blessings.

There is only one right way, God’s way, the way of life. Since early training secures lifelong habits, parents must insist upon this way, teaching God’s Word and enforcing it with loving discipline consistently throughout the process of raising the child.