Fathers

I recently read a staggering statistic, it was reported that “28% of the children in the world live without their biological father, 24.7% of those live in America.”*

            Malachi 4:1-6 (ESV)

¹“For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. ² But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. ³ And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts.

⁴ “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.

⁵ “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. ⁶ And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of the children turn to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”

Fatherhood is a term which is often misunderstood in its meaning, and is even further misunderstood in practice due to many of us men not having the proper role models of true Fatherhood demonstrated in our lives. I was raised without a Father during my childhood, it has left me with a personal ache and a lifelong desire to search out what it truly means to be a Father, and exploring the struggles and demands that hinder most Fathers from willingly stepping into that role.

One of the most consistent themes I have encountered in talking with Fathers who struggle with the role of Fatherhood is pride.  Even I struggle with pride.  Pride is putting trust or confidence in anything gives us the center stage, rather than Christ.  We have a propensity to put our confidence in a rational pragmatic belief in Fathering that has worked before possibly because of the influence of our parents, and because it worked for them before we believe it will somehow work in the same way again for us.  Pride has a way of giving men a false assurance of who they are by what they have experienced or learned as becoming the chief end of their journey through Fatherhood, as if the journey of becoming a Father is the goal.  The journey is not the goal of Fatherhood, the outcome of the journey is relationship, relationship is the true goal.

Some examples:  (i.e. …”that is the way my parents raised me so it will be good enough for my children”.  “…I have read all the books on parenting and I have a good understanding of how to be a Father”.  or “…I will take the advice of the experts on how to raise my children”.)  note:  I have used all of these above reasoning’s at one time or another in my own exploration of Fatherhood.

Fatherhood does have a chief end, it is to become more like Christ not to become like some man centered Father model we set out to pattern ourselves after.

Psalm 103:13 (ESV)

¹³ As a father shows compassion to his children,

    so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.

I have 5 daughters and two grandchildren, I pray constantly that God would be their heavenly Father and would help me be their natural physical Father that these Children need.  I am always made aware of my lack of ability to be the best Father or Grandfather I can be, that is why I pray and ask God to work through my weaknesses so that He can be made strong through my weakness.

Romans 12:1-2 (ESV)

¹ I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.  ²Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Becoming a Father is essentially becoming more Christ-like.  I think Jesus said it best:

John 15:9 (ESV)

⁹ As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.

I see very clearly why the enemy of our soul is corrupting Fatherhood at such a high degree in our nation, we have been given much in the form of freedom, prosperity, and protection for our country in previous generations, and generally families were united around a central theme of Fatherhood.

Luke 12:48b (ESV)

^48b Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.

‘If a generation of children would be raised without the influence or knowledge of their Fathers to fight for their children and intercede for them they will never know what it means to have a loving Heavenly Father beside them because it will be the furthest thing from their experience or their imagination.’  That is the enemy’s plan which he already has in place.  The enemy has already weakened the soul of our nation by blinding the eyes of Men and giving them a choice rather than freely allowing them to respond to their emotional, spiritual, and social commitment to become Fathers.

Roe vs. Wade has unleashed a devastating death blow upon the unborn in this country as well as the physical, emotional, social, and spiritual scarring of women.  The Father is often overlooked due to his pride, this pride is truly where the enemy claims his greatest victory.  God predicted utter destruction upon a nation if the Fathers hearts were not turned toward their children and the children to their Fathers.

This is the perspective or lens through which God views the health of a nation, weather or not men take on the role of Fatherhood and are responding to this God given call in life to mentor and lead children within their sphere of influence.  Men are called to take up the mantle of leadership, both in their families and communities they influence.

There has been much talk lately about the need for revival and a visitation from the Holy Spirit in our day. Many well meaning people have gone after counterfeit gospels with bizarre manifestations and incantations because they are desperate to find something spiritual even if it is not from God.  They truly fail to see the forest for the trees.  The recipe for true revival has already been given to us and has been staring at us for many years now.  It is Fatherhood!  Fatherhood is the key pillar of true revival, without true Fatherhood revival cannot come. 

As men we have a unique position and responsibility which is the protection and covering over our families and children in our care.  It doesn't matter what the situation is if they our our children or someone else's children, God is over all, and we as men are told to pray and intercede on their behalf.

Why would God use Elijah as the means of determining whether judgment should come to a nation before He returns?  I believe that the answer is found in Malachi 4:5-6.  He was to restore the hearts of the Fathers to their Children, and Children to their Fathers.  Elijah did that most effectively by declaring the name of the true God with signs and wonders, and through Elijah's obedience God showed Himself strong to the entire nation.

Consider the story of Elijah and the widow, she and her child were about to die from the drought and famine which was very severe in Sidon.  Elijah’s role was not only being a Father to the child but releasing God’s provision to them both, which included raising the boy from the dead.  Elijah was also a Father to Elisha and also to Israel by leading them back to their true God.

The following is an excellent animated video of the life of Elijah which is done to the music of Felix Mendelssohn who composed the Elijah oratorio back in 1846 for the Birmingham Festival in England. It depicts various events in the life of the Biblical prophet Elijah, taken from the books of 1 Kings and 2 Kings in the Old Testament. I find this video compelling not only due to the beauty and boldness of the music of Mendelssohn, but the fact that it depicts how in Elijah's weakness he was able to be a Father to Israel even during very dark and trying times.

Elijah is only one man who God used in a marvelous way, now God is raising up a multitude of men who will speak God's words and lead their families, communities, and their nation now that turbulent times have arisen.

Our integrity comes from presenting our bodies to God as living sacrifices, our ultimate purpose is to know Christ and allow Him to transform us into His image.  Fatherhood is what God works into us as we walk out this Christian journey by building relationships with others, God's very nature becomes present in us and through us.

This video above is copyrighted by the respective artists, and is demonstrated here for educational purposes only.

*Statistacal quote from the 2012 movie 'Unconditional'