Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: fathers (06/06/05)
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TITLE: The #1 Dad On Father�s Day | Previous Challenge Entry
By Doug Laird
06/10/05 -
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In the plan of God, fathers are the providers, protectors, and the spiritual leader of his children. He represents the authority in the home and one of the fundamental functions of the wife and mother is to honor that authority, especially in the presence of observing children.
A breakdown in the family structure that God has established is one of the precursors of a disintegrating society. Satanic attacks on the authority in the home in the name of equality and liberation has had considerable success in the present American society, as has been the case in many of the great civilizations of history.
Secular psychologists will concur that many individuals who manifest either sociopathic or psychopathic behavior come from a home environment that contained either an absent, abusive or neglectful parent. Role reversal, in an attempt to compensate for either the lack of assertive authority on the part of the father or lack of nurturing on the part of the mother, only further complicates and erodes the structure of the home that God designed.
Single parents find themselves trying to fulfill the roles of both father and mother. The duplicity of such a position, trying to simultaneously be a disciplining Dad and a nurturing Mom sends mixed signals to children who all to often become masters in the art of parental manipulation. God designed these parental roles to compliment, not to contradict, the other.
Mom or Dad’s choice of the “replacement” often times bring about yet another host of problems and issues to be resolved if the new home is to be harmonious and functional. The need for the presence and function of a Godly father and mother under one roof is one of the reasons why God has a hatred for divorce (Mal. 2: 15, 16) and its causes.
If a child determines he cannot secure the approval and acceptance of his earthly father who is imperfect, how can he rationalize that he is ever going to be accepted by his heavenly Father who is Holy. As a child of God spiritually matures, he comes to realize that his heavenly Father does not place unrealistic expectations on him. But until he reaches that level of spiritual maturity, his relationship with his earthly father can have a great influence either in the development or the retardation of that process.
Children blessed with Godly fathers often see in their fathers an exaggerated goodness and capabilities. Their dad is the best at everything there is. He knows all and can do all. Dear old Dad is nothing short of a super hero in the eyes of his child. As a child matures, he becomes aware of the sin nature and shortcomings of dear old Dad. He comes to realize that Dad is just as capable of error as anyone else and that there are scores of individuals who can do many things better than he. Dad’s authority is based on the character and plan of God, never his own.
One of the marks of a maturing child is when he willingly submits to the authority of Dad, even when he believes that Dad is being unreasonable. One of the marks of a maturing father is when Dad can acknowledge that he is not always right or reasonable and has no qualms about admitting it.
The mature child of God will come to a point where he will forgive his earthly father if Dad was one who was either not there or was of an abusive or negligent variety. The sin of refusing to forgive others will result in more grief in the form of Godly discipline than such bitterness will ever harm the ones we refuse to forgive. Under such circumstances, one can go from the role of a victim to that of a villain. This can be a hard pill for some to swallow in light of the abuse some children have endured, but one’s own relationship with God is what becomes the issue where forgiveness is concerned.
What a child of God will learn is that all of the desires and expectations that he had as a child of his earthly father are in fact the true attributes of his Father in Heaven. It is He that deserves the honor of being recognized as the #1 Dad on Father’s Day and all year long!
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
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