THE SIGNIFICANCE OF FATHERHOOD

SOMETIME back I received a very touching message on messenger from my daughter. Let me quote it word for word; “Dad, how do I encourage or cheer up a person who is feeling down and has lost hope? My roommate is devastated about how her father doesn’t play a role in her life although he’s alive and they live under the same roof, but has never really experienced a father and daughter relationship, and she’s sad about it and we are writing exams.”

When fathers abandon their role in society, children and generations are bound to suffer. We have so many crises in many sectors of society today due to the crises in manhood and fatherhood. As a result of growing up in dysfunctional families, most men lack understanding of the normal values that undergird a productive family or society. Real manhood is actually found within the heart of a man, and has nothing to do with the externals, the type of car I drive, the type of house I live in or even my profession as a man.

These may add something to our self image, but cannot really define who you are as a man. The quality of the inner man is what is real about a man. As a matter of fact, the essence of manhood is fatherhood. A father is a source, foundation, sustainer, provider and protector. Therefore fathers must be the source of righteousness, peace and joy in families and society. The greatest value of a father’s legacy is the values and faith he leaves in the lives of his children. To be a father is a great responsibility because whatever you do affects generations. As fathers we are actually the authors of our own personal legacy. We are not just living, we are leaving a legacy. It’s never too late to change, or become a better father, though it costs.

Sacrifice and pain are neither enjoyable nor even desirable in life, and yet they are usually both avoidable if we have to grow in meaningful relationships. As fathers, we have to be willing to pay a price for working on our relationships with our children and wives. Love is a very significant ingredient in living a lifestyle of sacrifice for our children and families, as fathers. It takes love in a father’s heart to spend time, energy and money on your family and children. A great father will always invest time in his children. As a father do not allow personal interests to distort the value of your children or wife. Personal agendas and interests have a way of making us oblivious to the needs of our children and family. In order to be truly successful as fathers, we must balance our priorities in the context of our careers, as a husband, as a businessman and as a friend to our children. This may be taxing sometimes, and requires personal sacrifice, yet it is worth it.

A countless number of men in the world today are disengaged from a significant lifestyle and drifting into valueless activities. They have been lured into a life of passivity by a dark and seductive culture of our times. Most men have allowed today’s seductive culture to rob them of their value as men in society. This has consequently placed our families in moral and spiritual danger. A lot of women are stressed out, and are worn out from the weight of shouldering their families, while most men are oblivious to this negative state of affairs. As men, we must endeavour to walk in honour and integrity and fully embrace our responsibilities as shepherds over our families and communities.

As men we are called to model love, not hate, rape, abuse or any form of violence. Today’s ungodly and godless culture mocks and constantly undermines the value of fatherhood, attacking and inverting what God designed and values. Actually the success or failure of fatherhood is one of the key issues of our generation. Yet a lot of fathers seem not to realise their vital role, consequently their children are most likely destined to suffer for it. Many of the issues associated with today’s detached, passive, or absentee dads is a result of fathers having lost their sense of direction and purpose. Most of today’s generation of our young men doesn’t know what it means to be a man, or to be a mature responsible leader. The physical absence of fathers is now actually considered as one of the most significant family and social problems facing society. Most prisoners, drug users, dropouts, runaways and rapists share something in common, growing up in homes without a father or a dysfunctional father. Men, it’s time for us to get out of our comfort zones, work through hidden issues from our past and make strategic sacrifices for the sake of our families, communities and nations. The restoration of fathers to their God ordained function will help restore family life, create a better society and a progressive nation.

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: