Now then, my sons, listen to Me; Blessed are those who keep My ways, listen to My instruction and be wise; Do not ignore it. Blessed is the man who listens to Me, watching daily at My doors, waiting at My doorway.
For whoever finds Me finds life and receives favor from the Lord. But whoever fails to find Me harms himself; all who hate Me love death.
Proverbs 8:32-36
Our society puts a huge emphasis on motherhood and the importance of their role. Maybe it’s because they are the nurturers, the caregivers, the ones who are supposed to take care of us while we are growing up. They attend the teacher conferences, volunteer in our classrooms, make us meals and clean our rooms. They wash our clothes and make sure we’ve brushed our teeth.
Fathers take on a different role- usually not so hands on. However, through statistics, we are learning that fathers just might be MORE important to a family than a mother. Why? All of the roles of a mother should be protected and supported by a father.
A mother and her children are very vulnerable to the outside world when a father is not in the home. First of all, if a mother dates, her children are exposed to people who might not be a good influence and sometimes, will even harm her children. A step parent is 20x more likely to sexually abuse a child than the biological parent. Second, fatherless homes are more susceptible to living in poverty. Less than 9% of all families in the United States with BOTH a father and mother in the home will live in poverty. That number is low! And it’s all due to one common denominator- poverty percentage goes down when a father is in the home and contributing to the cost of the family.
When women are raising children by themselves they are constantly in survival mode. They are stressed, easily irritated and emotional. Therefore, not only do fathers contribute financially to the family, but a strong, level-headed man can bring peace and calmness. A man’s presence keeps his children in line, takes some of the stress off of mom and brings joy and laughter. Men have an innate capability to “play” with their children. That’s why it’s men who often play professional sports. Dads joke with mom, with the kids, they bring a lighter mood into the family. They are a stabilizing force, not to mention the protector. There aren’t many married men who wouldn’t lay down their lives for their family. God created the man in His image- and it’s powerful. The enemy knows that the one true way to break down the family and bring it to its most vulnerable state is by taking the father out of the picture.
