What Kind of Father Should You Be?

Gò0dNews for Father’s Day

What Kind of Father Should You Be?

by Dr. Alan Hix

What is the most important thing a father can do for his children? You might respond by saying he should provide for his family; make sure that they have a roof over their heads, food to eat, clothes to wear, and some sense of security. So many children in our troubled world don’t have those things, so that is the best thing a father can do for his children. If we look to the Bible for models to follow for passing on our faith, we might think of several prominent individuals.

David had a great passion for God. We can see that passion in his Psalms. Although he is seen as Israel’s greatest king and was called “A Man After God’s Own Heart,” he was a disaster as a parent. His oldest son Amon raped his half-sister and was later murdered by their brother Absalom. David banishes Absalom, then relents, and in return, Absalom leads a rebellion against David until he is finally killed in battle. And although David’s heir Solomon starts well, he falls to worshipping the false gods of his many wives, thus leading Israel to do so as well.

Hezekiah is considered Israel’s second greatest king, and he purified the practice of the Temple worship of God more than any other king. We are told that God loved Hezekiah so much that he spared his life and gave him an additional 15 years. And yet Hezekiah’s son, Manasseh (who reigned for 50+ years), is considered the evilest king in Israel’s history.

Here we have children who were provided for better than anyone else in the land, and yet their father’s faith did not seem to translate to them. What are we to make of that? What kind of faith did they seek to pass on to their children? We can see the evidence of what happens when that faith is not effectively passed on.

When we consider King David, we know from the Psalms that he had a great passion for God. When we study Hezekiah’s reign, we find that he practiced his faith better than any king before him. When we think about what type of faith we should pass on to our children, which is more important?

Practice without passion is empty action. Practice without passion cannot answer the question of “Why?” On the other hand, passion without the practical expression of faith leaves us vulnerable to being led astray by every whim of doctrine or action that touches us emotionally. It is the practice of faith driven by the passion of our relationship to Christ that communicates effectively and powerfully the full message of the gospel. Passion gives us the “why,” while practice gives us the “what” and the “how.”

Jesus summed that up in one simple statement in John 14:15. On the night before his crucifixion, Jesus told his disciples, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” The answer to the question of what kind of faith should we pass on to our children is BOTH.

God calls us to be fathers whose experience of faith is central to and guides every area of our lives. It is a faith that is PROFESSED though one’s lips and is PRACTICED through one’s life. This Father’s Day, I encourage you to commit to being the father, the grandfather, the greatgrandfather that God has called you to be. As fathers, let us fulfill the role as the priest of our homes and commit to teaching and living Christ before our families.

About The Author Dr. Alan Hix is an Associate Professor of Christian Studies at Shorter University. In addition to being and educator, he has served churches as a pastor, been involved in mission trips to Africa, Canada, and Alaska, and participated in archaeological excavations in Israel for several years.