Encouragement for Fathers

“I would like to focus on the father in the family as being the seed bearer. It is the father’s responsibility to ensure that his likeness or kind is preserved for all time. It is the father’s responsibility to secure a lasting legacy, and to preserve a heritage for generations to follow. The main way a father does this is by ensuring that his fruit understands who they are based on their heritage. As a young boy begins to frame his perception of manhood, he will undoubtedly try to identify with his father. The son will open his heart to his father to receive instruction. If the boy’s father has accepted the seed of God, through the salvation of Christ, then he will have divine seed to sow into the heart of his son. As a man is fathered by God, God sows into him all he needs to be a father. The man is then able to reciprocate this down into his own son. A father does not have to be flawless in order to share the seed of God as a good father. A father only needs to be transparent about his fierce dedication to reflect God’s love in raising the child. The rest God will take care of.”

The paragraph above was taking from chapter 2 of my book, “True Heritage: Recovering from Spiritual Identity Theft”. I would like to unpack this sentence from the excerpt above, “A father only needs to be transparent about his fierce dedication to reflect God’s love in raising the child.” I have two daughters and two sons from my marriage. My preference as a father, was to always see my children smiling and laughing, enjoying life. My preference would have ruined them, because the breadth of life includes much more than just good times. This is why Holy Scripture tells us that when we withhold godly reproof and correction, we spoil or ruin our children. Godly reproof and correction involve orienting the heart of the child towards love; the discipline of looking beyond your own desires and preferences to achieve works that benefit all. All humans are born with the perspective of themselves in the center of the universe. Everything is relative to what they need or want. Only the love of GOD can change this orientation. If parents have not been broken and rebuilt by the love of GOD, the parent will raise their children based on their own needs and wants, and the child, as soon as they are able will also exercise their own power to express their preferences, and we end up with the world looking much like it does today. I thank GOD almighty for enduring my rebellion, my anger, my kicking and screaming, my self-inflicted sorrows, to do what was required to save my soul, to rescue me from the bondage of pride and selfishness. We have to parent by faith, not looking at the present, but acting from the hope anchored in the promise of that which is to come, the birth of a godly man or woman. GOD tells us, if we do the hard work on the front end, we will get to rejoice at the latter end.  The book of Hebrews 12:2 says, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”(KJV)

Fathers, your family and friends may try and shame you for being hard, for requiring the glory you know that has been bestowed inside your children, for not compromising your faith in doing it GOD’s way however, stand! Whole the line! Satan wants to destroy everything which reflects GOD. Since we were created in GOD’s image, we have a large target on our head. Family, the means of procreation, is under assault. Fathers protect your families fiercely. I am not talking about using guns and assault weapons, because they won’t keep Satan from spoiling your house. More families are spoiled from the fifth columns of affairs, ambitions of success, and empty religion than external forces.

“The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits.” (2^nd Timothy 2:6 KJV)

It will be impossible for you to place your children on the altar of GOD if you have not been there yourself. I trust GOD with my children’s lives because I first trusted Him with my own. You reap, what you sow. Endure the pain. You will sow in tears, but you will reap in joy! If you have sown good seed, the good harvest will come. There are no enduring lies or facades. If you have not sown good seed, you may have a tough road ahead. It is easier to raise whole people than to fix broken ones, but all things are possible with GOD. There is still hope. I was not raised in a godly home. In fact, by age 13, I had experienced both sex and drugs, but by age 21, I had taken up the cross of Christ in abandon to His love. My heavenly Father GOD leveraged my pain, His mercy and grace, the prayers of the saints, and the powers of the Heavenly Host to rescue me. I know He will do the same for each of my children, and for you and yours.

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13 KJV)

That is a promise of GOD which has not expired. You can claim it, and you can still teach and encourage your children to claim it as well. Be encouraged!

https://www.amazon.com/True-Heritage-Recovering-Spiritual-Identity/dp/1641114576