By Pastor Greg...
A man need only be 77 years old to be
born before television, penicillin, polio shots, frozen foods, copy machines,
contact lenses, Frisbees and the pill; before radar, credit cards, laser beams,
ball-point pens or bank machines. When this man was born no one had invented
pantyhose, air conditioners, dishwashers, clothes dryers (clothes were hung out
to dry in the fresh air), and man hadn't
yet walked on the moon, that's for sure.
If his family even had a telephone, all calls came over the 'party line.' There was no FM radio, no tape decks or even
8-track players. No CDs, videos,
electric typewriters, DVDs, yogurt, Personal Computers or guys wearing earrings
(unless it was a pirate in a storybook).
He listened to the Big Bands on the 'Victrola' (record player) and Jack
Benny on the 'wireless' (radios).
He would have married before living together. Almost every family had a father and a mother. He would have called every person older than him 'Sir' or 'Ma'am.' There was no computer-dating, dual careers, daycare centers, gay-rights, and group therapy. And he actually believed that a lady needed a husband to have a baby. His life was governed by the Ten Commandments, good judgment, and common sense. In church, in school, and at home, he was taught the difference between right and wrong, and to stand up and take responsibility for his actions.
He would have married before living together. Almost every family had a father and a mother. He would have called every person older than him 'Sir' or 'Ma'am.' There was no computer-dating, dual careers, daycare centers, gay-rights, and group therapy. And he actually believed that a lady needed a husband to have a baby. His life was governed by the Ten Commandments, good judgment, and common sense. In church, in school, and at home, he was taught the difference between right and wrong, and to stand up and take responsibility for his actions.
Many of
us long for the days when life was a bit simpler, especially when the world was a bit safer. People knew right from wrong back then. And for those of us old enough to remember
party lines, we lament the lack of trust and security in today’s world. My word, in some schools the students must
pass through a security gate before entering.
We send drug-sniffing dogs through
our schools and randomly search our children’s backpacks. Children come to school and kill their
classmates. How did we end up here in a
short 77 years?
Billions of dollars are spent, and countless laws are passed designed to
enforce morality. Tell me, is it really
making a difference? Not really. And that’s because no nation or government
has ever been successful when legislating
morality. Morality is something that
needs to be birthed in the heart of a person.
Morality is not a list of rules to be followed. Not even Israel, with all the laws handed
down by God, was successful in obeying those laws. Morality came when it was written in their hearts. But apparently Israel forgot its
responsibility, and the morality of the nation declined. The Jewish people in the Old Testament, the nation that God rescued out of slavery, fell
into moral decay and into slavery again.
And it apparently happened because those who were supposed to teach
God’s Laws had failed.
Our own nation began so well. There were lofty goal and ideals. But sadly morality is hard to find today. And I suspect it is because no one is
teaching God’s Laws of right and wrong anymore.
Oh, we are doing a great job at passing laws, but apparently a very poor job at teaching them. We pass a law that says it is wrong to steal but
don’t explain why stealing is wrong. We
are trying to change a behavior instead
of changing a heart. But unless the heart is changed, there will be no true obedience to the
law.
What all of this means is that if
we want to change our nation, we must
first begin by changing the heart of the
people. But that will not happen until
someone takes their responsibility seriously; until someone understands that God
has assigned the task of Spiritual Leader to a particular group of people in
our society. That responsibility,
according to God, belongs to fathers. It
is the father’s responsibility to be the Spiritual Leader in their homes. But sadly, it is a responsibility many fathers
do not take seriously.
God has commanded that the father be
the Spiritual Leader in the home. He
speaks this quite clearly. Fathers, you
are not supposed to, “provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them.
Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the
Lord” [1]
(Ephesians 6:4). In Deuteronomy 6:6-7 He
says,” And you
must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you
today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you
are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when
you are getting up”. [2] Fathers, if you do this; if you “Direct your children
onto the right path, [then] when they are older, they will not leave it” [3]
(Proverbs 22:6).
A lot of Christian father’s do an excellent job
supporting their children in their activities.
They do a good job providing for their children’s basic needs. But see, that’s where most father’s stop. Because when it comes to spiritual things,
most fathers are seldom involved.
They’re more worried about soccer practice than with church
activities. By our own example, we tell our children that a Sunday spent
in play is far more important than a Sunday spent in worship. And what’s ironic is that we lament the
condition of our society yet never lift a finger to fix the problem!
I’ll tell you what. If we fathers start being the man of the
house that God has demanded, we can rebuild a society where people know right
from wrong. No amount of money or
legislation or rules will ever replace the responsibility we fathers have in
our own homes. And that responsibility
is to take an active role in introducing our children to the Kingdom of God; to
live as a godly example to our families.
I know we lament the condition of our society, but it’s our own
fault. We fathers have been just too
preoccupied with our own selfish interests and have delegated our child’s
Spiritual instruction to our wives or to a Sunday School teacher while we’re
off chasing a Titleist with a 7 iron.
And then we wonder why there is no fear of God in our nation?
In 77 years we have fallen far as a
godly nation. Laws and legislation will
not get it back. Neither will prayer… unless we begin praying with
repentance. We can be a godly nation filled with godly states whose cities are filled with godly
neighborhoods when we fathers first build a godly home. So, if you really want this nation to become
a better place to live, then start teaching what God has commanded. And start living what you confess to believing.
In 2011 Affirm Films released a movie called Courageous. It addressed the importance of fatherhood. The closing scene was quite powerful.
[1] Tyndale House Publishers.
(2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation
(3rd ed.) (Eph 6:4). Carol Stream, IL
[2] Tyndale House Publishers.
(2007). Holy Bible: New Living
Translation (3rd ed.) (Dt 6:6–7). Carol Stream, IL
[3] Tyndale House Publishers.
(2007). Holy Bible: New Living
Translation (3rd ed.) (Pr 22:6). Carol Stream, IL
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