subject: A Call Of The Faith: For Christian Fathers [print this page] In this material world, where fathers are normally the breadwinners, it is undoubtedly hard to be become a Christian father. The material world has many temptations - money, women and song! Keeping the faith, by adhering to Christian values would take the deep resolve of Job to do it.
The biblical Job is a righteous man who lives by the teachings of God. God praised Job for this deed, which led Satan to envy and challenged Job himself. His contention was that, Job only loved God because He protected him. God removed Job's wealth, children, physical health to allow Satan to tempt Job to curse Him. Despite the difficult circumstances, Job remained true to his conviction. Job questioned his predicaments, but stopped short of condemning God. This was a test of faith, and Job passed God's test on his love for Him. His wealth and position was later on restored and he lived to be old man at the ripe old age of 140 years old.
A Christian father would be like the biblical Job. All sorts of temptation may be thrown at him by Satan, but he should remain steadfast and resolute in his conviction of not being tempted. Being a Christian father would mean living a life in emulation of Christ. Everybody, including the children should be able to see God in their fathers demeanor. They should see their father as the funnel wherein God's graces are bestowed on their family and the neighborhood. The father should be an example of what a Christian should be. His children should be able to feel God's presence by their father's kindness, understanding, empathy and moral conviction.
Christian fathers would see God's hand in him, by making him in-charge of God's future foot soldiers, his children. He should be reminded that as God's undertaker, he should make sure that all the right Christian values are imparted on the children. Bible teachings should be part of family bonding moments as well as church activities. Prayers should be taught in earnest and be made part of the family's daily rituals. Christian values - like perseverance, love, faith, courtesy, strength, empathy, religious and moral conviction should be part of the family dynamics that should be instilled in children even at a very young age.
A Christian father should be seen by his children as the living example of the teachings of Christ. Religious things that they read about from the bible, and teachings from the church would not be embedded into their subconscious if they see the opposite things done at home. The father, as patriarch of the home should serve as the model for Christian virtues and serve as personification of biblical truths. The bible should not only be read, but lived as well. How their fathers relate to them, to their mother, and society as a whole, would be an embodiment of how they would interpret Christianity as a whole.
A Christian father should not be seen by his children, as like the biblical Pharisee, who adheres to the strict adherence and observance of the Mosaic law, but is nonetheless, a self righteous and hypocritical person. As a Christian father, he should be the beacon of light for his children to follow, and the medium for which God's love flows upon.
