Fatherhood

“He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse” (Malachi 4:6).

When the angel appeared to Zechariah, John the Baptist’s father, telling him what would be the nature of his son’s birth, he quoted those very words:

"Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous —to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. (Luke 1:16– 17, emphasis added)

A male who is physically strong but weak as a father is not a man. A male rich in possessions but poor in fathering is not a man. A male eloquent in words but silent as a father in teaching his household the Word and precepts of God is not a man.

A male can do nothing greater than fathering. He can earn a million dollars, but if he fails to fulfill God’s calling upon him to father as God fathers, then he is a failure.

A man needs to be affirmed by a father in order to confirm his manhood.

The only one who can give you your true identity as a man is a father. This fundamental principle is lacking in many of our cultures, and its absence is the source of many social problems. Most young men are running around looking for a father, and they can’t find him. They’re running to their friends but to no avail. You can’t find fatherhood in another peer who is also looking for a father. You can’t discover who you are by looking to someone who doesn’t know who he or she is.

Not everyone has a great relationship with their own father. If you’re lucky enough to have a great dad of your own, you may want to be just like him — and that’s wonderful.

If your own dad left a lot to be desired you may feel nervous about your own role as a father. The great news is that you get to decide how you approach parenthood.

Find your own fatherhood role models. You’re creating this role from scratch and it’s up to you to decide how you want it to look.

INTERNATIONAL BOYS CONFERENCE 2022 INTERNATIONAL BOYS CONFERENCE (DAY 2)Raising Boys for Global Impact (Panel Discussion)

Deadbeat dads are a disgrace to manhood.