A Word To Fathers

A Word To FathersPastor Andre Butler
Fathers, do not irritate and provoke your children to anger [do not exasperate them to resentment], but rear them [tenderly] in the training and discipline and the counsel and admonition of the Lord. - Ephesians 6:4 (AMP)
As Fathers, everything we do in regards to our children should be done out of the love of God, and not just for our benefit. Love is not self seeking, and so everything we do as a Father should be for their benefit. The Word instructs you to bring your children up tenderly, so you have to monitor everything you're doing with your child. You almost need to have a kind of love meter to see how many things you're doing that are out of God's love versus how many things you're doing just for yourself.
You need to be diligent and pay attention to how you're raising and training your children to make sure that everything you do with them is out of the love of God. Now, I know that's easier said than done. You're talking about every day of your life, but the Bible teaches us we're supposed to walk in love every day anyway.
That's not a new commandment. And that surely includes loving your child.
We as Fathers have to take this business of training our children up seriously. Many of us are very successful in our fields because we're detailed, diligent, and focused. We don't miss anything. And thank God for the achievements that we have, but the day is going to come where all that is going to pass away. But what you do with your children will last forever.
So if you're going to be detailed and focused in whatever your career area is, you should absolutely be like that with your children. The Bible says that a Father who has produced a righteous son will greatly rejoice. Why is that? Because the way your children turn out has a great impact on you.
So when you see them living a righteous life, mighty before God, producing for God, and prospering in every area--you'll rejoice!
God wants you to make sure they become righteous for their benefit and also for yours. The job you do as a parent will determine your future prosperity. One of the things that will cause you to rejoice is that your child is living right before God, and staying on the path that God has for them.
Your children are part of your prosperity.