What constitutes a Father? Is it the person that impregnates resulting in the birth of a child (i.e. Biological Father)? Or is it the person that raises, nurtures, cares, loves, protects, encourages, instructs, guides, provides, and overall is a trusted friend to the child or children?
Definition of Father: “A father is the male parent of a child. Besides the paternal bonds of a father to his children, the father may have a parental, legal, and social relationship with the child that carries with it certain rights and obligations.” – Wikipedia
What does the bible says about Fathers It is written in the Bible that the father is to be head of his household and a leader to lead his family his wife and children to God, to ensure Jesus dwells in his household and is and has the most important place in his household.
Let’s us look at some of the responsibility and importance of a father thru the Bible:
1. To teach or Instruct
a. From the day that the child is born, it is the father’s responsibility to teach, instruct the child in the ways of the Lord. Our Heavenly Father will not fail to teach his children.
“And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.” (Deuteronomy 6:6-9 KJV)
“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6 KJV)
“And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.” (Isaiah 54:13 KJV)
2. Protection and Provision
a. The father is responsible to protect and provide for his children. Protect them from all spiritual, mental, and physical harm. There is a lot of evil and dangers in this world that harms our children’s spiritual, mental, and physical health. Sadly, there are countless of fathers that abandon their children and do not provide the protection and provision that their children need.
b. There is hope for those children that were abandoned, our Heavenly father will never abandon us. “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.” (Psalm 27:10 KJV)
“A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.” (Psalm 68:5) “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.” (Psalm 103:13 KJV)
We are all human and nobody is perfect in this world. As fathers, the time may come when we may fail on any one of our responsibilities. But our Heavenly Father, in his perfect nature, will never fail in any of his responsibilities to his children. He will always be there to love us, teach, instruct, to guide us, protect us and to provide for all our needs.
“I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.” (2 Samuel 7:14-15)
As we celebrate Father’s day, let us honor our Heavenly Father because He deserves all the honor and glory. He will never fail to be the perfect father.
“A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?” (Malachi 1:6 KJV)
Song: Good Good Father – Chris Tomlin