Four Questions for Dads

Bethel Mennonite Church – Gladys VA

As we think about a godly old man, what could bring more joy to him than to see his children walking in the faith and raising godly children? Dads are heroes to their children.

Dads, are you the kind of man that you want your sons to become? Are you the kind of person you want your daughters to grow up and marry?

Our fathers have a tremendous impact on who we become. Those of us who are fathers are setting things up for our children for who we are as a man. The choices we make will have a lasting impact not only on us, but also on our children. Are we taking that seriously enough?

Whatever stage we are at as fathers, may God give us grace and strength to do it well. God has given us a tremendous role to fill. God is a father, He is the first father, the perfect example of a father. He has entrusted us as dads to fill that role for our children.

If you think about fatherhood, even just in a natural sense without the spiritual implications, the consequences of the role of a father are huge in the life of a child. There are many homes where fathers are not present, some don’t even know who their biological dad is.

Are we fully engaged as fathers? Are we partially engaged? Are we unengaged? It is important for us to be there, be involved, to be active. Are we giving our children our best as a dad, or are they just getting the left overs?

This morning we’ll look at four questions to consider as we think about our own fathering experience, where we are at, and how are we doing.

1. Is your heart turned toward your children? In every child, there is a longing for a relationship with their father. In every father, there is a longing for a relationship with their children. Sin, selfishness, and pride will fight this, they can and will destroy these natural affections.
2. Do you have a vision for your family? What do we want the outcome of our family to be? What do we want our children to be when they are adults and are raising their own families? Where do we want them to spend eternity? What kind of family culture do we want? What atmosphere in the home?
3. Are we taking responsibility for what is going on in our homes? Are we fully engaged? God has given fathers the responsibility, are we taking that responsibility? Do we lead out in family worship? Are we teaching God’s ways to our children? Don’t leave all of this on your wife, you are a team working together on these things. It is important to open our homes up to our church community. Even as a community we work together to raise our children… but dads, the responsibility is ultimately yours.
4. Are we the men that God has called us to be? If we aren’t who we should be as a man, spiritually, morally, and behaviorally, we will not fare well with our children. How will we teach our children to submit if we don’t submit? How will we teach them humility if we are not humble? How can we shape an eternal soul unless we are abiding in Christ? How can I teach my children God’s word unless the Holy Spirit resides within us?

If we are abiding in Christ, we are not doing this by ourselves. Christ is laboring alongside us to get this done. Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it.

Scriptures used – Psalm 127:1, Malachi 4:5-6, 2 Kings 21:6, 2 Timothy 3:1-3, Proverbs 29:18, Ephesians 4 & 5, Psalm 127

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