Taking Back Fatherhood on this Father's Day
Wreck the father to destroy any society. This is the story of three generations of failure. It's not everyone's story, but it illustrates the destruction of fatherhood. There was a time in America when the absentee father was the root of the problem. Prisons were full of fatherless boys. The lie crushing families was that a man had to be free of family obligations to live as a man. Familial commitment was portrayed as a sign of weakness when the wife was called "the ball and chain" and the children projected as prison walls. But over time, we saw through this lie.
The next generation of men--most of whom were raised without a father--didn't outright abandon their children but instead prioritized sports, toys, and adventure experiences over family. Worshiping God and living a quiet, stable life anchored to Jesus was ranked somewhere below getting a cavity filled and changing the oil in the car. He was physically present but still elsewhere regarding his family. Churches tried to bring the men back to God by building bigger and better shows, more adventure and experience, but they couldn't compete with all the world had to offer. Families longed for dad to lead them closer to the Lord, but dad checked out on all family fronts. He was distracted, even with his children in tow. It was a slow death, but the following generation also saw through that lie.
The third assault on the father didn't attack the institution of fatherhood but the man himself. What does the attack on fatherhood look like today? The most obvious attack is challenging the family unit to remove the godly father outright. Not only is there no need for a man in the family, the very definition of man is at stake. In part, this lie removes gender and attacks masculinity. This assault rages in America today. But there's a less obvious assault on fatherhood. If Satan can't get the father out of the home, he will make a joke of him.
It seems that in nearly every cartoon and family movie lately, the father is a bumbling, unaware idiot for comic relief. He's not the leader in his home. He's not the man the family can trust. Advertisements portray dad as the most incapable family member in the home. He's the one who needs the most help. He's the butt of jokes. Even the term "dad joke" has turned on the dad. Dad jokes used to be an endearing term for the jokes that a loving dad would tell his children in a loving relationship. They formed memories and bonds between father and child. They may have annoyed the children, but they were a tool for dads to wield with his kids to get a smile from the children he loves. That's all it was, a bit of silliness between loving fathers and their children. But today, bad jokes told by anyone to anyone are called "dad jokes." The rebranding makes sense if dads are bumbling, unaware idiots unworthy to follow or trust.
Fatherhood is still under assault. Therefore, it is up to Christian men to redeem fatherhood. Despite the lies the world feeds us, fathers need to lead in their homes. They need to call upon the family to know and worship the Lord. They should be able to tell their family, "Follow me as I follow Christ." And they need to love their wife well and raise their children to be godly men and women. If the family is going to survive today's lie, fathers must be men of God's Word and prayer for the benefit of their entire family. It's a calling and a duty. Few will step up to the task, but for those who do, Christ is with them.
The world is making a shipwreck of fatherhood, but all is not lost. It's not too late. If you're a father, the battleground is in your home. Take up the cause. Your family might not thank you today, but one day they will, and it won't be too long. It won't be easy, and the odds will be against you, but it will be worth it.
Happy Father's Day!
Pastor Bryan