What is a father?

Tomorrow we honor our fathers—men both young and old who have earned this distinguished title. Being a father is more than just being a Daddy or passing down DNA. The task of fatherhood is a great sacrifice, as all true fathers can attest.

Fathers have a huge responsibility in rearing the children God has granted them. Loving, nurturing, teaching and disciplining are some of the ways of a being a good father. Sometimes the role is easy and sometimes the job gets tough.

There is much instruction and wisdom to be found in God’s word on how to parent. Some verses stand out: “Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it” – Proverbs 22:6 and “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” – Ephesians 6:4. Just as the Lord has compassion on his children, fathers are instructed to have the same.

Being a father brings great reward and often heartache as well. Just imagine the pain of our Lord when His children go astray. Though the beauty to be found in all of it is to remember that children are a gift from God and truly belong to Him first. Earthly fathers are merely stewards.

In the role of fatherhood, Christ needs to be the model with the Bible as our instruction manual. The work is taxing yet it should be done as with all things for the glory of God.

Happy Father’s Day to all of our wonderful fathers!