Nena Arias | June 21, 2021
“Honor your father”
(Exodus 20:12)
Being a father is so important that it is the essential title that Jesus used to refer to his heavenly Father. He used the word “Abba” in Aramaic, which means father. (Mark 14:36) This is why in fatherhood we even sense the divine due to all that a godly father does and represents. God saw this importance and he included the Fifth Commandment, “Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life”. (Exodus 20:12)
Godly fathers put their trust in God first. They pray and have faith. They make their best effort to be providers not only with basics like food, shelter, clothing and education but also in spiritual matters. They strive to be godly examples worth following. They teach their children about God and his Word. They love their families and sacrifice everything to serve them.
Father has been used as both a title and to honor someone in historical contexts. It sometimes denotes a title of authority.
Recognizing the importance of a father is vital to the health of a family, society and civilization but when it doesn’t happen often enough all of life suffers.
U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Center for Disease Control, and other agencies report that children from fatherless homes are:
• Five times more likely to live in poverty;
• Nine times more likely to drop out of school;
• Twenty times more likely to go to prison;
• Higher risk of drug and alcohol abuse;
• Increased incidents of internalized and externalized aggressive behavioral problems;
• Greater chance of runaways and homelessness;
• Twice as likely to commit suicide.
Needless to say, fatherhood is essential in the framework of a healthy society.
So, it is my honor to wish all fathers of all kinds who may be widowers, divorced, fathers who had a miscarriage of a baby, all fathers who have a child in heaven because of an abortion, to all fathers whose children are deceased, to all fathers who foster children, and those who have adopted children…let us make a renewed commitment to show love and gratitude to all fathers and may this sentiment grow throughout the years instead of diminishing.
Being a father requires strength and courage to persevere for the long haul of life. Without loving and committed fathers the future is very bleak and definitely will greatly miss the essential role of fatherhood.
Happy Father’s Day!