God's Design for MenSample

Fathering Men

In nearly any given TV sitcom, a main character is the family’s husband and father, and almost always, he is a bumbling buffoon.

For laughs, Dad is portrayed as clueless, insensitive, out of touch, and just plain dumb.

Now, whatever that says about how our culture views fatherhood, we know there are no perfect dads out there. And we know that there are some legitimately awful or absent dads out there, too.

But these realities don’t change another reality: there are lots of hero dads out there, and they are everywhere.

These dads work hard and show up, usually without fanfare or recognition. They put their families first and carry burdens of care and labor that no one sees. They lead their homes in mostly non-glorious ways—so non-glorious that the family might not even notice it.

But this is the call upon dads, and hopefully, your dad had some of those qualities; if not, hopefully, you have found other father figures in your life who did.

In today’s verse, we see a familiar calling given to dads to raise their kids well, in the care and admonition of Jesus (Ephesians 4:6). A father’s role is primarily to encourage, with words of blessing and affirmation, and gentle but firm correction at times, godly dads guide their children towards adulthood with Jesus at the centre.

Men without kids are not exempt from this command! Although not every man is a literal father, every man can be a father-figure, guiding and mentoring others in their lives and faith, as childless Paul did for Timothy (1 Timothy 1:2).

Jesus, the perfect Man, had no kids but invested everything like a father would in His Twelve, ensuring that they learned His lessons, saw His example, and would thrive after He was gone.

Men are at their best when they intentionally and diligently guide others towards maturity and flourishing. By sharing what we’ve learned ourselves and passing on our words and example through the lens of wisdom and experience, we help our literal or spiritual kids learn from our lives in ways that will help them grow.

God’s design for men is that we would teach and model the right way to go for the next generation, ensuring that everything we know that is good and godly will be part of the legacy we pass on that lives long after we’re gone.

Prayer: Father, thank You for the opportunity to father, literally or spiritually! May I be a man who teaches, models, and encourages good in those I am helping to raise. May they learn from my experience, avoid my mistakes, and go further and farther than I ever could! Amen.

Reflection: Whether literal or spiritual “kids,” take some time this week to speak words of blessing and encouragement to anyone in your life whom you help watch over and raise up