Warrior Dad
Dad, you are the key
“Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me…His preaching will turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers. Otherwise I will come and strike the land with a curse.” —Malachi 3:1, 4:6
God sent a messenger with a specific purpose: that he would turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers.
What is that all about?
One of the most disturbing trends in our time is the villainization of men. Complaints of “toxic masculinity” and the pejorative “mansplaining” are thrown around with zero definition to silence men—along with the idea that men aren’t even necessary in the family—has gone viral.
But nothing could be further from the truth. Men are essential.
According to data collected by Promise Keepers and Baptist Press, dads are essential to the spiritual health of their families. Here is what they uncovered:
“If a father does not go to church, even if his wife does, only 1 child in 50 will become a regular worshiper. If a father does go regularly, regardless of what the mother does, between two-thirds and three-quarters of their children will attend church as adults. If a father attends church irregularly, between half and two-thirds of their kids will attend church with some regularity as adults.
“If a mother does not go to church, but a father does, a minimum of two-thirds of their children will end up attending church. In contrast, if a father does not go to church, but the mother does, on average two-thirds of their children will not attend church.”
“Another survey found that if a child is the first person in a household to become a Christian, there is a 3.5% probability everyone else in the household will follow. If the mother is the first to become a Christian, there is a 17% probability everyone else in the household will follow. However, when the father is first, there is a 93% probability everyone else in the household will follow.” (courtesy of Nick Cady)
Here is the point: Dads, you are essential.
There is a spiritual battle being fought in our world dads—and you are the target. The enemy’s goal is to make you feel depressed, unnecessary, or thinking that church is irrelevant. Either way, he wins.
But you play a massive role. You are a key influencer in your children’s and grandchildren’s lives. You have waaaaaaay more impact than you imagine.
And with God’s strength, you will overcome.
So the question for us as men is this: “Do I want my family to be healthy spiritually? Do I want God’s blessings on our family, our marriage and on my children’s lives?” I can’t overemphasize how important you are in all of this.
It starts with us.
And why not join us this Sunday at CenterPoint? You can join us in-person, 10AM PST in Tacoma, or online on our CenterPoint FB page. Either way, I look forward to worshiping with you then.
Fighting for you,
Pastor Bill
Bill Herried is lead pastor at CenterPoint Christian Fellowship in Tacoma, Washington. He has an undergraduate degree from the University of Washington in Seattle, and Master of Divinity from Corban University in Salem, Oregon. He is married to the most extraordinary woman on the planet. Together they have 3 adult children and 4 grandchildren, and he loves a good biryani. Bill invites you to learn more on Your Daily Encouragement
Thank you for sharing your story Robert. And it’s true! God is at work in the lives of each of our loved ones. Sometimes as dads—or grandfathers—we underestimate the influence of a godly man. Keep up the good work, brother. It’s never for nothing. Blessings