And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth ( Genesis 6:5, 11–12)Įven after the Flood, God knew that “the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth” ( Genesis 8:21), and this truth hasn’t changed throughout human history. Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. . . . The generations leading up to God’s judgment in the Flood exhibited such gross defilement that God chose to judge the whole earth, sparing only righteous Noah and his household: This ungodly, sinful desire is nothing new, but we need to discern these powerful influences.Įver since our first parents disobeyed God, human societies have been corrupted with all kinds of sin in thought, word, deed, attitude, and affection. Christians need to be wise to the fact that our secular culture is trying to influence us and our children to reject God and live however we please. We live in a crazy, mixed-up world that is often anything but godly. This commitment emulates the desire of our heavenly Father who seeks “godly offspring” from the covenantal marriage of a man and a woman ( Malachi 2:15), and hopes that those children will pass along the faith to the generation after them ( Deuteronomy 6:2, 5–7 2 Timothy 2:2). Raising godly children remains the burden and responsibility of all parents, especially fathers, as the Scripture says, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” ( Ephesians 6:4 cf. Over 2,000 years later, the Apostle John celebrated the faith of his spiritual children, saying, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth” ( 3 John 4). In the Bible, the patriarch Abraham was chosen by God to “command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord, by doing righteousness and justice” ( Genesis 18:19). Father’s Day should remind us that God-fearing parents of all ages have been concerned that their children would walk in the truth.

Holidays like Father’s Day and Mother’s Day provide excellent opportunities to remember important principles and events, repent of personal failures, recalibrate toward the good and the right, and resolve to persevere toward righteousness. How should Christians respond to this mindset toward fathers? And how should a father act by a biblical standard? Children Walking in the Truth Just these three characteristics are sure to bring to mind one commercial or sitcom that personifies this type of man. If you watch TV, then you’ve most likely witnessed the portrayal of the modern-day husband and father as lazy, incompetent and stupid. One journalist writes in an article titled, “Dumbing Down Dad: How Media Present Husbands, Fathers as Useless,” The portrayal of dads in pop culture is more than embarrassing. Father’s Day is designated as a time to celebrate fathers, yet we live in a culture where fathers are often ridiculed and dismissed as deadbeats.

My fathers world kingdom tales