The Importance Of Godly Fathers

“My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline

Or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves him who he loves, 

  As a father the son in whom he delights.” – Proverbs 3:11-12 

If you have ever been lucky enough to spend some time at Snowbird during a meal, you can relate to me when I say we have an army of toddlers waddling around. Kids of all ages running about, playing in the gravel walkways, trying to climb the trees in front of the metal porch, or jumping in the puddles made by the downspouts. These scenes hold a special place in my heart; like these youngsters, I grew up surrounded by this great camp environment. Every day from the time you can walk is a different adventure. Times have changed, and the campus looks a little different, but one key structure to the Snowbird family dynamic stands out. Snowbird is full of faithful families, led by faithful fathers. 

When I was asked to write a word of encouragement for this newsletter, I thought about the things that the Lord had been using in my life as avenues of His wondrous grace.

Remembering that Father’s Day was a few weekends ago, my mind immediately went to the impact that my father, the fathers at Snowbird, and those from my church have had on me. This convinced me to present to you the importance of faithful fathers in the lives of young men and women. Whether it’s much-needed wisdom, counsel, or discipline, we need men who have taken the call to represent the relationship the church shares with God, especially in a culture that has done its best to deprave our world of good dads. I would like to take this time to turn to Scripture and spend a few minutes reflecting on the impacts of a Godly father, from the point of view of someone who is currently appreciating the way my dad has raised me more than ever. 

When thinking of the qualities of great fathers, my mind first goes to Abraham and his son Issac (Genesis 22). In this story, Abraham was chosen to be the patriarch of God’s people. Through the many trials and tests of Abraham’s faith, God grants him a son in his old age. Everything seems to be going according to plan. Abraham is raising Isaac to be the next in line, and in the most unexpected way, God calls Abraham to sacrifice his only son.

What?! How does this make sense? Abraham finally gets what God has promised him, only to have it taken away by God?

I wish I could have seen his initial reaction; however, in the Scriptures, it reads, “So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Issac.” He didn’t hesitate; he was obedient to the request of the Lord. If you continue reading the story, Abraham and Issac make it to the top of the mountain God called them to, and Issac realizes that they did not bring an offering. Abraham says something so profound I get goosebumps every time I read it, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering my son.”

What amazing faith! Even to the point of raising a knife above his son to slay him, Abraham displayed unwavering faith in the Lord. And just as he said, God provided a sacrifice in the place of Issac. 

Now, the Bible doesn’t talk about the specific impact this event had on Isaac, but what we do know is that he embraces the God of his daddy. He is a patriarch in the line of Jesus, so we know this event was life-changing for Isaac. I know that if I were in that situation, watching my father be obedient to an extreme like this, my faith would be strengthened like his obviously was. Growing up in a mission-minded household, I have seen my own father face challenges when our family was in a tough spot, whether financially or with one of us boys, or in a difficult life circumstance. I got to watch first-hand my dad and other fathers in the ministry of Snowbird display amazing faith, no matter what the test was. In my life, or the lives of my four younger brothers, my dad has raised us to lean on God, our ultimate Father in all things, big or small.

In conclusion of this quick thought, I want to encourage all the fathers who read this that your kids are watching and imitating what you do.

In a world bent on influencing families from dark outside forces, it is so important that your faith in our eternal Father is evident in every aspect of how you lead. Of course, there will be times when your kids will probably not like the way you correct them or protect them from things they don’t have the wisdom to understand. However, I urge you, as a freshman in college who has never been a dad, but has had a good one, do not take this point for granted.

Your journey won’t be perfect, it won’t be pretty, and sometimes it will be downright hard, but trust me, your faithfulness in the Lord is not in vain. 

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” – Deuteronomy 6:5-7