Father's Spiritual Guidance

Reviving the Family

Strengthening The Bond Between God and Families

A Father’s Spiritual, Parental Guidance
Tony Edwards- Ephesians 6:4

Children are of great importance to the family. The Psalmist said that they are “…an heritage of the LORD:
and the fruit of the womb is his reward.” (127:3) It would be a tragic end to all parents who at the judgment wait
to hear the words “…enter thou into the joy of thy lord,” and instead are surprised with the condemnation
“…depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” What good is it for
parents to be successful in their lives and yet neglect the lives of their children, God’s children, His
possessions?

Spiritual Parental Guidance is so important to the success of the family because children are a part of the
equation for success. According to psychologist Dr. James Dobson, “This busyness of mothers combined with
the noninvolvement of fathers means that too often, there is nobody home! No wonder boys are such a mess
today!” (http://www.focusonyourchild.com/develop/art1/A0000 670.html)

When the children fail the family fails:
             •        “A child left to himself brings shame to his mother.” (Proverbs 29:15)
             •        “A wise son makes a glad father, But a foolish son is the grief of his mother.” (Proverbs 10:1)
             •        “He who begets a scoffer does so to his sorrow, And the father of a fool has no joy… A foolish
                     son is a grief to his father, And bitterness to her who bore him.” (Proverbs 17:21, 25)

Although the Scriptures instruct both parents to guide the children (1 Timothy 5:14; Ephesians 6:4), the father
is the primary figure in God’s scheme. The fact that the father is the head of the house means that his spiritual
qualities can not go lacking. Our culture, however, is declining in the area of father figures in the family. Today
there are more single parent families than ever in the history of humanity and the lack of a “father figure” is
showing.

Kenneth A. Dodge, director of the Center for Child and Family Policy at Duke's Terry Sanford Institute of Public
Policy states:
     "We knew that a number of studies had identified the link between absent fathers and risk for daughters'
     early sexual activity, but the risk had been ascribed to more generalized family problems, such as poverty
     and stress." Dodge goes on to add that "our research shows clearly that father absence itself during the
     first five years of life is a unique risk factor." (http://www.dukenews.duke.edu/2003/06/dodge605_print .
     hm)

Thus we can see why in our text Paul tells the father to “bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the
Lord.” (6:4)

When fathers bring their children up the way God commands then the results are positive. Fathers, by the life
you live and the lives you lead the Lord will know you: Speaking of Abraham, Moses records the Word’s of the
Lord by saying “For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him,
that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice.” (Genesis 18:19) Father’s, are you
known by God?