The role of father teeters on the edge of extinction in our society. Much of this is due to the overall breakdown of the family unit. According to www.divorcestatistics.org, approximately 50% of all marriages end in divorce. Those stats increase with each subsequent marriage thereafter.
The divorce dilemma is a more obvious cause when we consider how a father can adequately fulfill his role seeing his kids every other weekend which seems to be a common visitation schedule put in place by many domestic relations judges across the country. Just like many social ills facing our society today, the role of father is often a generational issue that can be traced back through a family's history or like the old saying goes "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."
When God created man, He instilled within us a purpose to work:
"When the Lord God made the earth and the heavens and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground.." Genesis 2:4-5
Immediately after verse 5, God created man to tend His creation. It's clear in this passage that from the start, God's intention was to give man a purpose rather than a mere existence.
Because men were created to work and that desire to succeed and accomplish tasks is deeply rooted within our genetic makeup, some men can be prone to extremes falling short of being a father and a husband at home, which is our most important job, while striving to leave their mark in their careers. Many children are being raised as orphans in homes where fathers and mothers are present. If we do not fulfill our God given mandate to first lead in our homes…MTV, celebrities and pop culture will.
As I have had the opportunity to speak with many troubled men over the years, I have found one overwhelming common denominator, they did not have their father present to help mold and shape them into responsible young men.
You can be a successful father on the other side of divorce. You can be a champion for your kids and be a champion at work. You can be a great father even if yours was not. You don’t need Oprah or Dr. Phil. I would like to suggest the best book on the market for being a daddy. The author is well known. He is the Author of Life.
