Honour and appreciation to our Father in heaven who is the progenitor of all! Congratulations on this day to all men, potential fathers, fathers and grandfathers as we celebrate today.
Fatherhood is indeed a privilege and God-given role that has a lot of responsibilities. When the Father in heaven formed man out of the dust in Gen 2:7, a series of events followed which we would examine in the following.
- Breath of life in you: God breathed the breadth of life into man. This tells us that we owe our being to our Father in heaven in whom we live, move and have our being. (Acts 17:28) Therefore, without Him we are empty and dead and to fulfill your roles in your families, you need the ‘breath of God’ which is the Holy Spirit.
- A place for you: there is a place for every man by God’s design. (Gen 2:8) God took man and put him on the east of the Garden of Eden. Do not just wander around from place to place, be planted like a tree by the rivers of water. (Ps 1:3) Ask for direction always for where God wants you in your work, business, home and other endeavours.
- A work for you: Adam was positioned by God in the Garden of Eden to work. (Gen 2:15) This is not because God could not take care of His garden or feed Adam, but to instruct us. Man is not only required to work in the Garden, but he also had to work in the vineyard of his Father. While it is good and scriptural to provide for your family, do not spend all your time working to have material possessions of life. Seek first the kingdom of God and other things shall be added to you.
- A family priest: In Gen 2:16-17, God specifically instructed Adam on fruits to eat and not to eat. The instructions were not repeated when Eve was introduced. As the head of the family, you are to receive instructions from God and give spiritual leadership and direction to your household. In Gen 2:20, Adam named all the animals as instructed by God. You are to lead in your family prayer altars, in studying and teaching of God’s word like Abraham in Gen 18:19.
- A cleaving to your wife: In Gen 2:24, God gave an instruction to man to cleave to his own wife and become one flesh spiritually, physically and emotionally. To cleave is to become inseparable you’re your wife because God hates divorce. (Mal 2:16) Becoming one flesh with your wife has a great spiritual advantage because two shall chase a thousand. (Deut 32:20)
- You can’t hide from God: If you have done well as a father, repent and go back to God. No excuse is acceptable. (Gen 3:12,17) Do not be contended with being called daddy. You need to understand that fatherhood is a lifelong obligation and it can only be successfully carried out with our heavenly Father’s help. May we not fail in Jesus name, amen!
– Akin Laniya