The Bible says, "Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be
long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee" (Exod. 20:12).
That command is old in origin, but today it's just as new, essential,
and appropriate as ever. It has not deteriorated with time.
The Word doesn't say, "Honour your father and mother if they act like
you think they ought to act." And it doesn't say, "Honor them if they
rise to your expectations in life." It just plainly says that you are to
honor your father and mother, and then with doing that comes a promise
that your days will be long on the earth.
So remember, you are duty-bound in the sight of God to place your father
and mother in the right perspective. God expects you to honor them.
The Bible says that even God has crowned man with glory and honor: "What
is man, that thou art mindful of him?... For thou hast made him a little
lower than the angels, and has CROWNED HIM WITH GLORY AND HONOR" (Ps.8:4,5). So we need to place man in the same category God has already
placed him. We need to agree with God!
With that in mind, let's look at GOd's perspective of the man in the
home. Sometimes the reason families have so many problems in the home is
that they do not place the other family members in their proper
categories or accept them in their rightful places.
Well, the same God who places man just a little lower than the angels
and then crowns him with glory and honor also told children to honor
their father. Thus, it is especially fitting and godly that sons and
daughters -- no matter what their age -- crown their own earthly father
with honor.
Sometimes people say, "Well, I don't like my dad's actions." Well may be
he doesn't like yours either! But God is telling us, "Regardless of how
you feel or what you think, you are to honor your father (and your
mother) so that your days may be long on the earth.
Psalm 8:4 asks the question: "What is man ...?" That's a good question.
What is a man's value? I want to show you a few things about God's
perspective of a man's role that may help your estimation of a husband
and dad rise to the level it should be.
The truth is, the service and influence of men in this world have been
great. Through the centuries, God has given men many talents, strengths,
and capabilities with which to fulfill their role on the earth.
For example, it was a man who led Israel from Egypt's bondage
(Exod.3-15). It was a man who caused God to make the sun stand still
(Joshua 10:12,13). It was a man who prayed fire down from Heaven (1
Kings 18:19-39). It was three men who were willing to be thrown into the
fiery furnace rather than now to another god (Dan. 3:1-30). It was a man
who was cast into the lion's den because he refused to stop praying to
God (Dan. 6:1-28). It was a man who preached a sermon on the Day of
Pentecost, and three thousand people were saved at one time (Acts
2:14-41). And it was men like D.L. Moody, Charles Finney, and John Knox
who "blazed trails" and kept revival fires burning in the midst of
spiritual darkness. All of these examples reveal part of the role and
responsibility that God has given the man.
And just think about the founding of this country. It was men who established the United States of America on the principle of religious freedom. The reason Americans have the previlege to freely worship God is that some men took it upon themselves to obtain religious freeedom.Men fought wars and died for the freedom that you and I enjoy today to worship God within the dictates of our own conscience.
So put man in his proper place of esteem, for thousands of men have died for your freedom!
It's also very important to put the man in his proper place of esteem in
the home. According to the bible, it is the husband who is to be the
head of a home: "For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ
is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body" (Eph.
5:23).
Now we know that the Bible says a man is to love his wife as his own
body and as Christ loves the Church (Eph. 5:25,28). So there is a mutual
love and understanding between husband and wife.
Yet on the other hand, the man is the head of the home. (That doesn't
mean, however, that the wife is to follow her husband into sin; she is
to submit to her husband as unto the Lord.) Many times the reason
problems arise in a home is that the man has not been put in his
rightful place as head of the home. Sometimes wives have this
philosophy: "The man is the head of this home, all right, but I'm the
neck, and I'll turn the head!" That attitude could definitely cause
problems in the home!
What does it mean for the man to be the head of the home? Well, there's
a lot of responsibility that goes along with filling that position.
First, it means that the man is to lead the way in the things of God. He
is not to say, "I'm the head of the home," but then let the wife lead
the family in spiritual matters. He is not to say, "I've left that area
for my wife to take care of; I'll take care of the practical things in
life." No, the man is to be the head of the home in spirituality.
That means he is supposed to be the head of the "family altar." In other
words, he is to be the leader in family worship, prayer, and Bible
reading in the home. He is the one who should say, "Let's read our Bible
together and spend some time worshipping God." He is the one who should
tell the wife and children, "Let's get ready to go to the house of God.
Let's go to Sunday school and participate in the things of God at the
church."
As head of the home, the man is the one who supposed to be the
stabilizing force in the home. When the atmosphere of the home needs
stabilizing, he is to step in with the strength God has given him and
bring a sense of security and peace to his family.
It is also Dad who is to get a godly example for the wife and children
in the home.
In the eyes of son, there's no one like his dad! For instance, two boys
were arguing one time about whose dad was the greatest and the best. One
of the boys was going on and on about how great his dad was. The boy
covered nearly the whole territory of how big, great, and important his
dad was!
The other little ole boy didn't have much to say. But, finally said,
"Well, I'll tell you one thing -- I bet my dad leaves a bigger ring
around the bathtub than your dad can!" That little boy wasn't going to
let the first boy outdo him! Both of those little boys though, My dad is
the greatest! So it's very important what kind of example the father
sets for his children.
It is also the man's responsibility to be the protector and the provider
in the home. The fact is, God says in His Word that if men don't provide
for their own household, they have denied the faith: "But if any provide
not for his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an
infidel" (1 Tim. 5:8). god wants men to take care of their households.
God gave the husband and father the responsibility on earth to be the
head of the family. Now, sometimes men will say, "Well, I don't know
whether or not I can measure up to that responsibility in life."
Yes, men, you can measure up! With the help and the grace of God and a
little determination of your own in your innermost being, you can be
what you're supposed to be as a husband and father!
I didn't say it would always be easy for us fathers to fulfill our role
as the head of the home. But there's a God in Heaven we can pray to and
depend on. He's a great big God, and He'll help us fulfill the position
God has given us in our homes. He will help us become the kind of
husband, father, and leader of the home that He wants us to be. He will
give us the divine strength to do what we need to do for His glory.
And wives, you need to realize that your man is very, very important in
your home. You need to give that man his proper place of esteem as the
head of your home. It can be done! The world today desperately needs
godly leaders. And if anyone in this world needs to be a godly leader,
it's the husbands and dads in the homes of our nation!
So wives and children, do your part! Crown that man in your home with
honor, and give him his proper place! It will help him become the godly
leader of your home that he needs to be!
extracted from "The Word of Faith" June 1997
© 1997 vinebranch@hotmail.com
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