Scripture to Read: Colossians 3:21
The role of parents in their children’s lives is huge. The role of the father is so big, for he is to be the picture of Christ in the home while the mother is the picture of Christ’s body, His church. Promise Keepers and Baptist Press collected data showing that if a father does not go to church, even if his wife does, only one child in fifty will become a regular worshipper. If a father does go regularly, regardless of what the mother does, between two-thirds and three-quarters of their children will attend as adults. If a mother does not go to church but a father does, a minimum of two-thirds of their children will attend church in adulthood. If the father does not go to church but the mother does, usually two-thirds of their children will not attend. Another study revealed that when the father is the first in the family to come to Christ, 93% of the time, everyone else in the family will follow. Dads set the pace and make a huge impact on their children’s faith. God commands dads to invest well spiritually. God had Paul write in Colossians 3:21, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.” God knows the impact of the dad, and God tells dads not to make demands that are nonessential, humiliating/embarrassing, or abusive. Dads should never show favoritism between children or be unresponsive to their children’s needs. Dads must always treat each child with the tenderness of Christ and show them His lovingkindness. Dads must lead well in the home.
Challenge & Application
What stuck out to you as you read today’s devotion and why?
Why is the role of the dad so significant in the spiritual well-being of their children?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!