Fatherhood: What’s The Significance?

Written by Sammie Gallo, Creator of Abundant Life: You Were Made for More

What Does the Research Say About Dads?

Several years ago, Touchstone magazine published a thought-provoking aricle by Robbie Low called The Truth About Church and Men that illustrated the link between fatherhood and generations understanding what it means to know, love, and follow Jesus. In the article, Lower examined data from Switzerland, a national survey that they’d done that sought to determine ifa person’s religion would be carried through to the next generation. And if not, why not? Here’s what he concluded: There’s one critical factor. It’s overwhelming and it exists. It is the religious practice of the father of the family.

The survey data indicated the following:

• If the father doesn’t attend church and the mother attends regularly, only 2% of the children attended regularly while 37% attended irregularly and over 60% didn’t attend church at all.

Now this data is striking:

• If the father did not attend church regularly, one in five children were regular church attendees, even if the mother attended.
• If the father attended regularly, regardless of what the mother does, two-thirds to three-fourths of the children became churchgoers, either regular or irregular.
• If the father is an irregular churchgoer, between half and two-thirds of the children in this survey attended church regularly or irregularly.

While these results are centralized to Switzerland, I’m sure the United States would not be any different. So many children in today’s day and age are missing their fathers during key years of their lives, when they are forming their beliefs about not only the world around them, but also about themselves. So many children have a missing piece of their core identity when the father is absent from their life and childhood. On the contrary, a father’s gifts of quality time, life-giving words, and positive actions have a long-lasting impact on his children.

The bottom line: we have a major problem. I challenge you to think about this. If fathers are to be the most effective in leading and standing in the gap for their families, they need to be sitting in the pews with them, weekly, consistently, unashamedly. 

Two Great Initiatives

There are two great initiatives that Christians are called to live out in the public square and to promote in their private lives and in the public square as well. That’s the Great Commandment, “Love God with all your heart, your soul, your strength, and your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.” And theGreat Commission, which is to make disciples for Jesus Christ.

These great initiatives are lived out first and foremost in the family. Fathers living out the Great Commandment with their children and their neighbors and fulfilling the Great Commission to help their children become disciples of Jesus Christ.

In fact, you see this principle reflected in the 10 Commandments as well. The first four commandments are about loving God. The last five are about loving your neighbor as yourself. And then the centerpiece. The fifth commandment is about family – mothers and fathers. We as parents also have a role in this. If we are honorable, living out our faith for Jesus day to day, it is undoubtedly easier for our children to honor us. 

When Fathers are Not Engaged

Today, one out of four children in this nation live in homes absent their fathers, three out of five in the African American community. These children are more at risk for some of the most complex, troublesome social ills – teen pregnancy, low academic performance, poverty, and crime. 

There are few things closer to the heart of God than children having good and godly fathers.

The Lord created fathers to be a living, breathing display of who He is: a protector, a provider and a leader. And while some earthly fathers fail, many strive to live out God’s plan for fatherhood, even though it’s a pretty tall order.

Consider what God asks fathers to do – when we really think about it, it is a tall order:

• Provide for their families (1 Tim. 5:8)
• Love sacrificially (Eph. 5:25-33)
• Teach their children about the Lord (Eph. 6:4)
• Encourage their children (Col. 3:21)
• Talk about God’s word, often (Deut. 6:6-9)
• Appreciate their children (Ps. 127:3-5)
• Guide their families in serving the Lord (Josh. 24:15)
• Set a good example (Prov. 20:7)
• Love their children enough to discipline them (Prov. 13:24; 19:18)
• Lead their families as Christ leads the church (Eph. 5:23)

Fathers are often unappreciated, but God highly values them.

Fathers are often unsure of how to lead, love, and guide well – but God will and can eɔuip them with everything they need. 

This week, our nation will pause to honor our fathers on Father’s Day. While our fathers aren’t perfect, they do deserve recognition for the good that they do and the love they give, especially those that follow Jesus. 

Many father children, but few are truly fathers. We encourage and pray for you this year that would lean into your role as a dad and allow God to guide you in your parenting.