How many of us sat there during the Super Bowl commercials and noticed the recurring theme? There...on prime time television...during one of the most watched games of all sports....they were calling out. Toyota, Nissan, & Dove Men's Care were just a few of the commercials that pointed out the necessity of fatherhood.
Fathering has physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual ramifications. Father's help shape identity. They are seen as the main provider in the home. They bring a greater sense of security. Most of this sounds like common sense, but if you have ever talked with anyone who had an absent un-engaged father you will know where I'm coming from. Don't get me wrong. Mothers play a huge role in the development of children. We need their nurturing, their caring, their more delicate nature. While a Father speaks to a son or daughter's identity, the mother nurtures it. They work hand in hand. To be without either one in the home is a tragedy. Fathers provide a proper context for masculinity and femininity. What son doesn't want to be like his father? What daughter doesn't see an ideal to look for in a husband? Fathers, I'm talking to you. Are you listening?
Consider the change in our own approach to faith just by Jesus teaching us to pray "Our Father..." He brought a whole new dynamic to our lives. No longer can we legally view God as a distant deity. No longer can we see Him through the lens of a disapproving divinity. He is so much more. The Abba (Father) of Jesus is our Abba. Not absent. Not disengaged. Speaking to us, providing for us, and bringing security to us each and every day. There is something powerful, even transforming, about knowing Him as Father. The question you have to answer is "Why?"
I have a friend who spent the majority of his life distanced from his earthly father. He has shared stories with me about what it was like to grow up without that influence in his life. Even now as a husband and a father himself, he longs for that relationship. There is something deep within each and every one of us that cries out for a Father. This is where the church needs to pay attention. Week in and week out people show up to our gatherings. Many of them are carrying the wounds left by a parent. Many of them have struggled to understand God based upon a miserable experience with their own Mom or Dad. They need us to be Fathers. They need us to speak into the hurt, the broken spots, and the mistaken identities. We have an opportunity every day to reach out to someone who never experienced the love of a Father.
Fathers provide a lens through which children understand the nature of our Heavenly Father. They need for us to see them for who they are. They need us to speak to their identity. They need us to teach them what it means to be a son and/or a daughter. I cannot stress this enough. We shape them. We direct them. We give confidence to them. Can you hear them calling?
I'm grateful to pastor a church where so many men - strong men - are a part of the fellowship. Whenever I have people from out of town come and visit with us, they are amazed. Their presence alone speaks volumes. A questioning world is intrigued by the presence of strong men. Wives are given great comfort by the presence of their husbands. Children begin to see the church in a whole new light when the men are a part of the fellowship. We dare not understate it nor dismiss it.
Many of you probably saw the Courageous movie. It speaks to this phenomenon more than I ever could. However, I want us to understand the spiritual implications of this. I want us to see Fathering not as a responsibility but an opportunity of shaping the next generation. Allow the children to see you worship, to hear you pray, and to enjoy your story. Allow the world to take notice of strong Fathers who love the Lord, their families, and their fellowship. Fathers being all in, being engaged fully, and participating in the Koinonia has such an impact in the Spirit. It's difficult to explain but easy to feel. There is a weightiness that the men bring with them.
I have no doubt that many of the men reading this blog right now are engaged in their families. You are probable an active member in your fellowship. I'm not hear to demean any of it. I'm here as a voice. A voice that says "I SEE YOU!" You are making a difference. And as we bring other men along on this journey, we will see a reawakening in the family, in society, and in the church. We need you all. The sons are waiting.
No comments:
Post a Comment