The Father’s Gift to His Children

“My son, if you will receive my words
and treasure my commandments within you,
make your ear attentive to wisdom,
incline your heart to understanding;
for if you cry for discernment,
lift your voice for understanding;
if you seek her as silver
and search for her as for hidden treasures;
then you will discern the fear of the Lord
and discover the knowledge of God.
For the Lord gives wisdom;
from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.”
Proverbs 2:1-6

The Bible is pretty hard on fathers. It commands us to lead our homes through the discipline of servanthood, to rear children without letting their tempers get the best of them, and to provide for the spiritual, emotional, and physical needs of every family member. Of course, we all fall short on many counts. Nonetheless, that should not prevent us from seeking to discharge our scriptural responsibilities.

The same God who enjoins us to lead, teach, guide, and equip our families also equips us for the task. He gives us the tools we need if we will but receive and use them. You have the wisdom of God you need through the revelation of the Scriptures. The book of Proverbs brims with relevant capsules of God’s counsel for fathers. From Genesis to Revelation, there is a myriad of examples, good and bad, of how a father should treat his wife and children.

You have help. You have supernatural help. The load is heavy; but when you turn to Jesus, He takes on the responsibility of equipping you and making the burden His light and easy yoke. It is a hard job, Dad. But it can be a job well done when we do it God’s way, looking to the counsel of His truth.

“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger...” Ephesians 6:4