Father to the Fatherless

Last night, I was listening to a sermon by Mark Driscoll from Mars Hill Church in Seattle entitled Marriage and Men. Here is the link to it: http://www.marshillchurch.org/media/trial/marriage-and-men. Before you listen, (and I recommend that every man listens to this) be warned that this message is not for the faint of heart or for boys; it's for men who want to lead their families and do something about this problem that is gripping our nation in it's iron claws.

First of all, I am not a man and I don't write this to bust on men. I write this to call men to greatness. It's not too hard to look around our society and see the devastating effects of the absence of men. Our society is in a crisis and many are unaware of it treating the symptoms instead of the cause. The family has been redefined thereby destroyed. Kids are growing up without fathers and turning to drugs, sex and friends to fill the void of their father. Wives are caught in the trap of working to help support their family while their family is falling apart right before their very eyes. And this is happening just as much in the church as it is in the world. Yet nothing is done. I applaud the courage of Driscoll to speak hard truth man to man. I pray for more pastors like him to rail on the fatherless state of our society.

It is estimated that 40% of babies are born out of wedlock. This fact was unthinkable in the 1950s a mere 60 years ago. How far we have fallen! In two generations, we have forsaken traditional family values, embraced tolerance, feminism, and individual freedom all at the expense of the family. I would argue that the role of the father is more important than the role of the mother in a family. Most women embrace motherhood and are adequate nurturers, how God has designed it. But most men, struggle with leading their family as part of the curse. Both are important no doubt, but I believe the father is much more critical to the health of the family. God has designed that the husband is the head of the household not to domineer over everyone, but to lovingly serve and lead his family. Without this, the family is a ship without a captain heading for the rocks on the shore.

Since many boys are growing up without dads, they have no example to look to of godly leadership in the family. Here's where the church comes in to pick up the pieces. Thank God we can get what we lacked from our natural families through the church. I learned an incredible amount from watching and observing godly ladies in my church. I have much more to learn, but am thankful for them. It's time the older godly men, teach the younger ones about being a man. If you don't someone else less godly than you will with detrimental consequences.

Men, I challenge you to man up and lead your family loving your wife like Christ loved the church. Find godly counsel and an example and learn from them. If no example can be found, look to Your Heavenly Father who is perfect. He sent Jesus to die for all sin. He stands ready to forgive and restore what is broken. Your family is at stake. Your wife wants you to lead, trust me. Your kids demand that you do. The time is short and the time is now to act.

Thanks for listening.