|
|
|
A Father's
Responsibility
|
|
|
|
|
|
Introduction
Many years
ago, I could bring a person to the
very place, when speaking to a young
father who was rather strict on his
little children I said, “One of the
most serious responsibilities in
life is to be a father”, something
he readily agreed with. Then I
said, “You and I have children who
call us “father”, then we teach them
that God is also our Heavenly
Father. The question is, “As
Christian
fathers, to what degree is God, as
our Heavenly Father, seen and known
and glorified through us?”,
or put another way, “What
sort of an impression am I giving of
God as Father?”. Throughout
the years I have pondered on this in
my own
personal life. We need to be an
example of God’s love to our
children.
To begin to answer this question
there must be the comprehension of
what God as “Father” is like, and
only then can I determine if my
impression of God is clear or
distorted. It will come with
exceeding quickness that it is not
how like God as Father I may be, but
how distorted is the impression I
convey to my children.
|
|
What are God’s characteristics as
“Father?
|
1) |
When the Lord told the parable of the prodigal son (Lk. 15:20),
the father is seen as a
shadow of God. It had been a heart wrenching departure for the
father when the son left the father’s house. How things had
changed. He went out full with a vision of dreams, free from
parental restrictions, but now destitute and having a conscience
weighed with guilt and remorse, he is coming home. What was the
father’s reaction?There was no belittling or scolding but when
the son was a great way off we read, “his father saw him, and
had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him” (Lk.
15:20). How hard fathers can be on a strong willed child
especially when they go astray. Cruel words and rehashing the
errors the child made does not help the situation, but neither
does enfolding the child back as if nothing was ever done
wrong. David accepted Absalom back but there was no repentance
in the heart of Absalom and it came with a heavy price. The
lesson is: |
|
|
|
a) |
As parents, there must be a balance between compassion from the
father and truth with repentance on the wayward one. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2) |
A second characteristic of God as Father is His love.
“BEHOLD, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us”
(1 Jn. 3:1). |
|
|
|
a) |
He does not say, “What manner of love God hath bestowed upon
us”. In John 3:16 we are told God loves the world, but here it
refers to the children of God by new birth and as such He is
“Father”. |
|
|
|
b) |
Neither does it read, “The Father loves us” but, “What manner of
love the Father hath bestowed upon us.” There is an intensity
and fulness manifestly seen in the bestowment placed upon us. |
|
|
|
c) |
Everybody needs not only to love but be loved, and on this point
not only does God tell us He loves us, but His actions prove
it. I had a wonderful father but back in those distant days
parents often did not tell their children they loved them, they
demonstrated it. Only once do I ever recall my dad telling me
he loved me and I treasure it still, even though that is almost
thirty-four years ago! Tell the child daily they are loved, and
being loved is not because of something they are or do, it’s
just because you love them. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
3) |
A third feature is progressive discipline (Heb. 12:5-10). |
|
|
|
a) |
There is first a rebuking (Heb. 12:5), then chastening. I
recall a father who I never heard rebuking his children. The
instant they did wrong, whither it was the first time or not, he
took a literal piece of wood about four inches across and would
spank the child with it. What a distorted manifestation of God
he gave. How could the child understand God loves when that
which he saw was a cold non considerate tyrant? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4) |
The ancient Psalmist wrote many wise counsels about God as
father and its relationship to us. One of the most memorable
is,
“Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth
them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth
that we are dust.”
(Psa. 103:13, 14). It is easy to forget that a little child is
just a little child with a very limited knowledge and
understanding. One of the characteristics of a child is the
speed at which they forget. For instance, children cannot walk,
they run, skip or jump, neither can they be quiet. They do not
seem to know what the words mean. Life for them is filled with
laughter and excitement and to expect them to instantly remember
and obey is an impossibility. I recall being in a home where a
cold harsh father was visiting with his wife and children. As
the little ones laughed and shouted and played there was noise
and the father did not remember that one child was dust, frail,
caught up in his own world. He called the child who literally
came trembling, and in front of all the other children and
adults yelled and humiliated the child. How will that child or
the others think of God as father? |
|
|
|
|
5) |
Security (Psa. 89:26) |
|
|
|
a) |
After being loved a child needs the awareness of security. How
often a little one will climb into the parent’s bed because they
are frightened or when any awareness of danger approaches them?
When available they will rush to be caught up in father’s arms.
Like God, the father is to be to them their rock and security.
Never would a father who loves his child reject their call for
help and leave them to the danger they are terrified of. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
6) |
Gives wise instruction (Prov. 13:1; 15:5) |
|
|
|
a) |
When we consider the scriptures we read that,
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable
for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness”
(2 Tim. 3:16) thereby assuring humanity that there is no
foolishness or error which could lead to bad behavior in any of
the communications of God. This is important because, “Foolishness
is bound in the heart of a child”
(Prov. 22:15), and the wise father will seek the wisdom that
comes from above (Jam. 3:17) to guide the child. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
7) |
Respect due to position, our Father. |
|
|
|
a) |
To the detriment of society, we live in a world where children
have little respect for adults, and this applies to children and
their parents. I have seen a child hit the mother on the face,
children ignoring the parent when they are called, and older
people are called “old man” or “old woman”. The Lord taught us
to say to God, “Our Father”, and He who was God’s equal never
called God “the old man”. This respect must not be just
positional, but a respect based on the honour the child holds
for the father. |
Concluding Thoughts
As fathers we all fail, especially
in reflecting the likeness of God.
Knowing that we shall all stand
before the judgment seat of Christ,
a wise father will seek the wisdom
and help of God’s Spirit to portray
a worthy remembrance of our Heavenly
Father.
. . .
Rowan Jennings
.
|
|
|
