This Father's Day my daughter is six and a half, and my son is only one and a half weeks. I'm still amazed by the impact these little people have made on me. Everyone told me that I would settle down when I got married, but, initially, this was not the immediate cause of the change that occurred in me. I still did a number of thrill-seeking activities that were, maybe, less than wise. I still couldn't wait for the next opportunity to get my motorcycle up to 130 MPH. Ruth loved higher speeds on the motorcycle too. I remember once, while we were riding the twisty Vermont mountain roads, I yelled back to her to squeeze tight if she was ready for some fun. As she evacuated all the air from my diaphragm, she whooped and hurrahed as we weaved through the turns and the trees flew by. She loved every second! Well, until we stopped and she asked me how fast we were going. When I told her, her reaction required some recovery time for my arm.
The point is that marriage didn't change me as much as everyone said it would, but the first time I held my little girl in my arms, I knew nothing would ever be the same again. The responsibility of fatherhood hit me like a runaway train. It wasn't long before the motorcycle was for sale, because it had gathered dust in the garage for a year. I was now responsible for the emotional, spiritual, and physical development of this little girl! Me, the father of a little girl.
Now, just over a week ago, my Father in heaven blessed me with a little boy. Once again I feel that similar sensation, the weight of fatherhood. Not just Daddy to a beautifully sweet and tender little girl who needs the vision of a father to measure other men by, but Daddy to a future man and standard bearer in a fallen world. This is a weight that I will gladly bear, and My Father in heaven will give all that I need to lead these two to Him.
In many churches this morning we will hear about the need for fathers to rise up, as we should. The current directional heading of our society demands it. If we compare ours to other societies in history, everything points to this being a sinking ship. But even in the climate we find ourselves in, we are not to despair; Jesus promised hope. In Matt. 11:12 Jesus told us that the established Kingdom would always suffer violence at the hands of evil men. And in Matt. 16:18 we are told that the positive confession that Jesus is Lord will not be thwarted! This is our hope, our confidence!
So, how do we proceed in this society, as fathers, with our children? What distinction was Paul pointing toward when he said, "For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers?" (1 Cor. 4:15 ESV) What is the role of a father in this passage?
The Hebrew culture, historically, is founded on the necessity of the father’s role to provide the God-inspired, doctrinal understanding of who God is and what that means for their people. In Deut. 6:6-9, God gives explicit direction to fathers to give precedent to His instruction not only in their lives but in the interactions they have with their children. In Deut. 32:7 God says to ask the fathers of God ways in days gone by, expecting the fathers to "show" them what God had done.
In addition, the children are all admonished to listen to their fathers in Prov. 3:1, with positive consequences for doing so. Even the Ten Commandments progress from how we respond to God to how we respond to each other pivoting on the command to children to honor their fathers and mothers, and this is the first commandment with a promise!
In 1 Cor. 4:15 Paul tells us that it is a father’s role, both spiritually in discipling and practically with their children, is to provide this foundational understanding of God (what He has done, Who He is, and what that means for us as the people of God). Many people can teach God's principals, but, as with the Corinthians, what is absolutely necessary are fathers who toe the line of foundational truth. The Corinthians were experiencing mixture in their doctrine, and it was causing division and problems in their worship. It could be considered a similar situation in our society and church here in America. We need fathers in the home, and in the church, to teach their children the truth of God so they can discern the truth from a lie. In our present society, and if Jesus tarries, this is all the more necessary.
Matt. 24:11-13 says, "And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness (opposition toward God and His people) will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved." Fathers, give your children a foundation that will enable them to endure. Charge them to keep the words of the scriptures even in the midst of opposition. Teach them to pursue the Word of God found in the scriptures so they can know the difference between what is false and what is the truth.
I thank my father, Jack Eaton, and mother, Renate Laprade, for giving me a good foundation, and I thank my in-laws, John and Kelly Kuvakas, for working to build on that foundation. It is my resolute commitment that my kids won't have to choke on their words to, “Say thank you Dad for a good foundation.” Won't you make it yours this Father's Day? Their future depends on it.
