Ephesians 6:4. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!
Oh Friends, unfortunately it’s become another one of the many money-making, commercial days on our calendar. It also shows up the many open and festering wounds in our society. But at least it brings some families together, and I guess we have to be thankful for those small mercies whenever we get them. Anyway, to all you Father’s out there; the good, bad and indifferent, HAPPY FATHER’S DAY! I know that the position of father in the households of our society has been severely lessened and eroded for a variety of reasons, consequently, there are many fewer families with live-in fathers, and too often the poor mothers also have to play the role of father. This obviously is not in the best interest of the family, especially the children. But I’ll beg to differ here just a little, for in some respects a family is better off without a father present, if that father cannot or will not do what our Bit dictates. ‘And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture (training) and admonition of the Lord.’ Yes Friends, an ungodly live-in father can do much more damage to a child than an absentee one. I talk from some experience here. As far as I know my father was as godly as they came back then, but thank the Lord I didn’t live with him, because we could never see eye to eye on any subject, and I’m sure if we had lived together, I would have turned out much worse than I did. Hn, hn! Don’t get me wrong, he supported me financially and took some interest in my education, but even when I attained manhood, our ideas still never gelled. Strangely though, since I’ve attained middle age, I’ve seen the wisdom in some of his pronouncements, and I often wish I could be as cool, suave and unflappable as him, and not the loudmouth I’ve become. But that’s because I wear my passion on my sleeve, (smile) and he didn’t. Anyway my brethren, we all know that there are too many dead-beat or absentee fathers in our society today, and it just seems to be getting worse as the young people, both men and women, don’t seem to take the bringing of children into this world as seriously as they should. It’s something we older folks should have drilled into the young people’s heads when we had the chance, and though it might be a bit late now, we still ought to try. And in the irresponsible society we now live in, too many men go around fathering children, unconcerned about how those unfortunate children will fare in this evil, cruel, ungodly world. They beat their chests with false, macho pride at how many baby mothers they have, utterly unconcerned about how those baby mothers are going to mind those babies. Ah Lord eh Friends, sometimes when I hear them with the stupid boasts, I feel like taking a bull-pestle to them! However, let’s move on and hear what the scholars have to say about our Bit. ‘Fathers can provoke their children to wrath by injustice, loss of temper, undue severity, cruelty, favouritism, suppression, sarcasm, ridicule, and misuse or abuse of authority. Nurture basically means “training,” here denoting spiritual education. Admonition is instruction that points out one’s responsibilities and duties. Of the Lord is in Greek a subjective genitive. This indicates that behind the parents’ rearing and instruction of their children stands the Lord as the chief teacher in child education. Parents do not rear children alone.’ Oh my brethren, I couldn’t have said it any better myself. I just hope that I made a passing grade as a father using those principles. I wasn’t spectacular, but I think I was good enough eh children? (smile) And yuh know Bruh Paul thought fatherhood so important that in his letter to the Colossians, he again admonishes: ‘Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.’ (Col.3:21) Oh my people, fathers have such important roles in children’s lives; guide, leader, provider, that children suffer considerably when there’s no good father figure around. And from the very beginning the Lord thought fatherhood so important, here’s what He says of Abraham: ‘For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgement (righteousness and justice); that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.’ (Gen.18:19) Oh Friends, there’s no higher compliment the Lord could pay to a father! So all you fathers out there, I’m begging, pleading, beseeching you to become responsible and seriously look after the welfare of your children. You might have had a bad example of a father, but that doesn’t mean you have to continue the negative cycle. Sadly, it’s the children who eventually suffer the most, and consequently we raise a generation without proper morals and principles, and thus begins the decline of the society. Remember Friends, a society is only as strong as the principles on which it’s built and functions. More on this tomorrow, the Good Lord willing. Till then, fathers please show greater interest in your children, it’s your bounden duty, plus you will also be well rewarded, here on earth, and in heaven above. Much LOVE!…though Jesus was God…to whom did He look for guidance and direction…His heavenly Father…there’s no better example for us to follow…
SCRIP-BITS 