WHY DOES FATHERHOOD MATTER?
What is fatherhood? Is it merely being a male that shares responsibility for creating a child? Or is it deeper than biology?
If you do a quick search on the definition of “father”, Google will tell you the term refers to the relationship between a man and his child. But what defines that relationship? What is a father’s role in that relationship? And how does this relationship impact children and society as a whole?
Statistics have time and time again shown us that there is a direct correlation between absent fathers and increased rates of behavioral disorders, poverty, abuse, poor educational performance, and more. While the reasoning for this is complex, when fathers (or father figures) are not present, children can face tremendous uphill battles in life. Conversely, when a dad is present, children have the ability to flourish.
What does the Bible say about this role and relationship? God is clear about His requirements, men are to love, protect, disciple, and provide for their families. He holds men to a high standard due to the importance of their role in the home – and how it can impact an entire community. God holds fathers accountable for how they lead (or fail to lead) their family. Ultimately, a father’s job is to be a reflection of our Heavenly Father. He is to model grace, mercy, justice, joy, and care so that when we look at him, we see the grace of God, the mercy of God, the justice of God, the joy of God, and the care of God.
As we read through God’s Word, we see time and time again God display His heart for the fatherless. With no father figure to reflect the heart of a Heavenly Father – some believe the tragic lie that God Himself is absent or lacks compassion. As followers of Christ, we know this isn’t true. In fact, we know the Lord has a special place in His heart for the fatherless. May this motivate our Man Up and Go family to continue forward with this message – God is here, God cares, and there is place for the fatherless in the family of God.
-The Man Up Team
