On average, adults will eventually experience the loss of their father through death– this is tough! Unfortunately, most kids (of any age), sometimes lose through their father not because of physical death, but because of damaged relationships, incarceration, drug/alcohol addiction, divorce, the father is more in love with the world than they are their own family, or the father is married to a career instead of his wife. The list could go on and with each struggle are also attached generational impacts which some family trees never recover. I had my dad for almost eighteen years. For that, I’m thankful. Space does not allow for me to list his positive attributes. His father died before he was born. His mother remarried and alienated him and he was reared by his grandmother. My dad had limited education and limited vocational opportunities which impacted my upbringing. “Getting by” became part of life. While my dad never bought me a car, took me on vacation, or created professional opportunities for me, he loved me. My dad wasn’t perfect, but he was present! My dad didn’t leave me any tangible assets, he left me a good name (Proverbs 22:1). Godly dads are needed!
James Dobson makes these comments about the importance of Fathers:
1. There is an undeniable linkage between fathers and babies beginning at birth.
2. Infants as young as 6 weeks old can differentiate between a mother’s and a father’s voice.
3. By 8 weeks, babies can distinguish between their mother’s and father’s caretaking methods.
4. Infants are born with a drive to find and connect to their fathers.
5. Toddlers are especially obvious in their assertions of “father need:” they will seek out their father, ask for him when he’s not present, be fascinated when he talks to them on the phone.
6. While children of all ages — both male and female — have an innate need for contact with their fathers, boys suffer most from the absence or noninvolvement of fathers. According to the National Center for Children in Poverty, boys without fathers are twice as likely to drop out of school, twice as likely to go to jail, and nearly four times as likely to need treatment for emotional and behavioral problems as boys with fathers.
7. Boys are in trouble today primarily because their parents, and especially their dads, are distracted, overworked, harassed, exhausted, uninterested, chemically dependent, divorced or simply unable to cope.
Now, as much as any time in the history of mankind, is the Word of God needed. In a few days, our nation will highlight “Fathers.” Unfortunately, good fathers, present fathers, and Godly fathers are becoming more and more difficult to see in society. This is evident not only by Dr. Dobson’s words, but in our schools, communities, and streets. What’s the solution? Scripture truly does provide us with a roadmap to eternity, but a daily guide of living on Earth. The church has a grand opportunity to share with the community that “the answers” are found in Scripture (II Peter 1:3, II Timothy 3:16-17, and Psalm 119:9). May we seek to reach out into our communities to let the world know, Godly Fathers are needed and expected. Duties of Fathers are to: follow God’s way (Ephesians 6:1-4), train, nurture children (Ephesians 6:4), teach children God’s way (Deuteronomy 11:19), make time for important things (Proverbs 22:6), set the proper example (Matthew 5:16), study the Word of God (II Timothy 2:15), and to always be ready to give answers (I Peter 3:15).
As we turn on the news and see results of the breakdown of families, especially the loss of Fathers, may we point our neighbors to Christ.
Thirty-one years later, I still miss my dad a little…a little more everyday.
