“For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him” (Genesis 18:19 ESV).
The Lord chose Abraham and gave him a calling to “command” his children and household to “keep the way of the Lord.” This calling was like being promoted to a position of “command” over an army. It was a calling to lead and direct his family to follow the way of the Lord. It was a divine stewardship. Abraham was to submit to be under God’s command and then willingly accept God’s commission to direct his family. In this way, Abraham and his family would live under God’s promised blessing.
God still calls fathers and mothers to a position of authority over their children. Yet the key is that they are to lead under the authority and direction of the Lord. The Lord’s commission to parents, especially to fathers, is to direct their families to “keep the way of the Lord.”
As the apostle Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4).
Studies have been done to determine the impact of a father’s faith and a mother’s faith on a family’s participation and the results are startling. If a father is the first to become a Christian, there is a 93% likelihood that the rest of the family will follow. Conversely, if the mother is first, the likelihood drops to 17%. The same study noted that when both parents regularly attend church, about 72% of their children will continue to do so. If only the father attends, the percentage declines to 55%. If only the mother attends, it drops to 15%.
Clearly, the best scenario is for both fathers and mothers to come under God’s authority to lead their family to follow the Lord. How are you doing at this?
PRAYER: Dear Father, we submit to Your calling to direct our families to follow You. We want our children and grandchildren to live under Your blessing and to know and follow Your Son, Jesus. Strengthen us and give us wisdom to know how to lead with grace and love, sharing the gospel with them in word and deed. In Jesus’ name, amen.