A Message to Fathers
By Janice S Ramkissoon
28th April 2011
Children are gifts and a blessing from God to their parents. Psalm 127:3 (KJV) says:
“Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord and the fruit of the womb is his reward.”
Both mother and father contribute to the process of conceiving a child. It is therefore, the responsibility of the parents to train up that child in the way s/he should go (Deuteronomy 6:6-9; Proverbs 22:6) with a special charge to fathers to provide a consistent example in godly living. This includes the caution not to provoke his children to wrath as highlighted in Ephesians 6:4 and Colossians 3:21. All this extra responsibility is based on his role of authority in the family as head of his home. When this element is missing in the home it brings chaos (Numbers 14:18).
It was never the responsibility of a child to go seek the answers for themselves. It was for the parents to operate within their role, bringing up/ teaching their child/ren so that they can later refer to these teachings and have access to the answers they seek. Let us make a change to the way we treat our children from this day forward.
Fathers: Take up your rightful place in the home. It was never designed for the women to take on the role of headship in the home—that’s your role.
So if you happen to have given up the right to your headship, then I’m encouraging you to make the step towards reclaiming your position in the home. However, be mindful that this should be done in the will of God. Treat your wives with respect. If you are living away from home (separated, divorced or for whatever reason) and want to be part of your child/ren’s lives, respect the mother of your child/ren. If she has re-married, respect her husband also—he is now the head of their home because you’ve given up that right. However, you still have a responsibility as a father and you should be the role model your child or children need. Make the choice to do what is right so that you will grow as a father and not go on to make the same mistake in another relationship.
Copyright 2011, J.S.Ramkissoon.
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