Father of the Family

Joshua 24:14-18

Father’s day! It is very strange to celebrate a day honoring fathers or mothers. What happened to those days when we honored our parents without reminders? The Bible teaches us to honor them not just one day but always.

Yet, it is a day when we remember them in a special way; it is also a day when we examine where we stand as fathers and where we stand as daughters and sons.

Here are Dad’s favorite sayings:

- Go ask your mother.

- Don’t take a decision; just wait ‘till I get home.

- When I was your age…

- I used to go to school in the snow…

- I’m busy right now.

I like a verse from the Old Testament in Joshua. 24:15

“But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”

This is a statement by the leader of a people. Notice it is a statement about his family. Enough is enough; it is time to take sides. Joshua takes the side of the Lord. But listen carefully, he takes his decision with his household, his family, his children. We need fathers today who are leaders. We need fathers who are walking with the Lord, who learned fatherhood from our Father who is in heaven. Joshua was very affirmative.

Decisions like this have two sides. A father who obeys his heavenly Father, and a family who is ready to listen to and obey their father.

1. A father who obeys his heavenly Father is a spiritual leader at home.

No one can replace the role of a father in the family. A father who wants to lead his family spiritually should be obedient to his heavenly Father.

Prov. 1:7 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.”

Prov. 9:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

Fathers, how much time do you spend in your relationship with our heavenly Father? An intimate relationship with our Father gives us wisdom and character. Do your children observe you as a man of prayer? Do you pray with them? Do they know obeying God comes first in your life? Do they know giving to God from your income is a priority?

Children need guidance. The fear of God does not mean hiding from Him. No, it means loving, respecting and worshiping Him with awe and adoration. We need to teach to our children who God is. We need to teach God’s character to our children.

Joshua was first a leader in his household. I have to start from my house. The greatest thing a father can pass on to his children is that God loves His creatures, and His creatures have disobeyed and have sinned. Therefore, we need to repent and seek God’s forgiveness through Jesus Christ.

Paul advises young Timothy. “He (the spiritual leader) must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?)” (3:4,5).

Recently a college professor conducted a careful, two-year study that asked children aged four to six, “Which do you like better, TV or Daddy?”

Forty-six percent of the youngsters indicated that they preferred the TV.

Study showed if Mom and Dad both attended church regularly with their children, 72 percent of their children remain in the church.

The point I am stressing is that the role of the father starts from home and continues in the church. He reminds young Timothy how he grew up learning the Holy Scriptures since his childhood. Fathers, I urge you, train your children and instruct them in the Word of God. Train your children to think Biblically. If you don’t, “others” from the outside world will train them with their philosophy. Our children will face the world. They will go to public schools, they will go to colleges, but will go prepared.

We will continue in English.