See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
1 John 3:1
It’s not as though there is no good pattern for fatherhood.
Check the Father from the beginning. Creating the environment in which His offspring can be fruitful, have dominion, replenish, subdue and multiply. Establishing a garden for His children to enjoy a wide variety of fruit. Covering His children even when they have rebelled against Him. Making a way possible for His children to return to the family by giving up His only Son. Building a family born of the Spirit to enjoy eternal presence.
The Father’s creativity, the Father’s provision, the Father’s protection, the Father’s redemption and forgiveness. The Father’s elaborate, expansive and lavish love. The Father’s faithfulness.
Where mothers rightly get lauded and applauded for their nurturing nature and emotional bond, there is much still to note about the impact and influence of faithful fathers. In a world where negative portrayls of manhood abound from the pathetic effeminate male to the insensitive, lout, machismo masculinity there is a lot to be said for celebrating and promoting faithful fathers.
It’s not about just biological dads being responsible. It’s about men recognising and living up to our role in influencing other men to be in the way they should go by faithful example.
We’re called to be like our heavenly Father in character and purpose. As we do so, we help create a scene we can see where beholding the lavish love of our Father enables us to be and become faithful fathers.
Meanwhile thanks to those faithful fathers who have gone before. Indeed thanks to my Dad who remains an excellent example of faithful fatherhood. Thanks also to my brother who has effectively inherited this character in his loving, sacrificial service for his offspring. Thanks to the other pivotal males who have looked out for me and helped me take my responsibilities seriously.
My prayer in saying what I see is that I too will be found faithful.
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden
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