I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. 1 John 2:14 NIV
Have you ever had to make a decision in life and you just couldn’t tell what way was best? Wouldn’t it be great to have someone there who had walked those steps before saying, “I think this would work out best.”? Godly fathers impart Godly wisdom to their children.
I can’t help but think that part of our society’s moral ills is a direct result of absentee fathers not imparting wisdom to their kids. For over twenty years the divorce rate has been rapidly growing. While this doesn’t always mean an absent father, it certainly is not the model God had for the family. When children aren’t sure if pre-marital sex does or doesn’t include oral sex (U.S. News and World Report Special Report, May 2002) or whether it is right or wrong to live together before marriage, then we have a problem with wisdom.
John, in today’s passage, was encouraging spiritual growth through the sharing of wisdom. Fathers are encouraged to impart wisdom they have gained through life. This is not a passage, which teaches that fathers should make all the decisions for their kids. We are not to live their lives for them. We are however, to make sure they have the proper guidance so that when the time comes, they will be better able to make right choices in life.
Godly fathers have learned valuable lessons about God and His ways, and they take the time to share that wisdom with their children.
