Job description for a father
First in a series on fathering
If you’re a teenager, you can easily pick out all the ways in which your father is letting you down. But what does a good father look like? What roles does he fulfill? It’s interesting how the roles of an earthly father parallels those of our heavenly Father.
Protector – This role encompasses our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual protection. As children we particularly need protection, and we need to have our values, purities, and our honor protected into adulthood. A father not only protects his children from harm, but protects their hearts and minds as well. (2 Thess. 3:3)
Provider -This is perhaps one of our more instinctual roles of a father. A father initially provides necessities. He also creates an environment for growth through love and encouragement. We look to our fathers to provide for us what we may not be able to provide for ourselves while teaching us how to eventually become independent. (Genesis 22:14)
Counselor – A father is a guide. He directs his children toward the path in life that promises to fit them best. A father who has his child’s best interest in mind will gain the trust of his child as a counselor. This is where the “sacred no” and the “sacred yes” come in. (Is 9:6)
Friend – It is said that a child learns how to interact with others on the lap of a father. We seek a sort of friendship with our father that teaches us what friendship is. A healthy friendship with a father gives us boundaries and helps us understand what is safe and what is not. (John 15:15)
Here are a couple of rules of thumb: If your father failed you in any of these roles, then you will be searching to compensate for that deficiency in other relationships. If your father failed to give you a good model, then you will have to work hard to compensate for that poor modeling as you raise your own children. We tend to do what we’ve seen modeled.
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Tears…
I really enjoyed reading your blog. I actually sighted you as a source in a paper I’m writing on Father Hunger. Great Stuff!
Thanks, Bruce. Comments like yours keep me encouraged enough to write another few blogs!
you job description for a father is brilliant. As I grew older, i began to realise how a responsible father sacrifice their time, money and energy to raise us up as successful person as I am now.
I would like to copy and link your blog to my blog as I want to share this information to others. I hope that’s ok with u.
calvary greetings,in the name of our lord and saviour jesus christ, i bless God for the awesome grace upon your life,and for your obedience is finding time to write in with such a clear mind that have brought great blessing the body of christ in this part of he world, i stumbled on your site while surfimg through the net to prepare for my message for the forth coming fathers day 05 sept,your article has been a deep blessings,iam pastoring a church ,SUREWORD CHAPEL,in lome Togo,tel 00228 9258165,you will never lack oil,receive fresh illumination from heaven to serve it fresh,bless
pastor and mrs Enyinnaya Agwu kingsley
I read 2 cor 6:18 – where God said I will be a father to you and you will be my sons and daughters – I new undestanding set in. So, I decided to do some research on the roles of a father. Your post reinforces the all encompassing core roles of fathering -offering protection, provsion and guidance.
sir, i really need ti appreciate ur knowledge on wat God has designe u to be doing and also pray dt God will enrich ur wisdom aslso promise in my subsequent writting i will nt hesitate to reference u.
sir, i really need ti appreciate ur knowledge on wat God has designe u to be doing and also pray dt God will enrich ur wisdom aslso promise in my subsequent writting i will nt hesitate to reference u.
Thanks William.
Very nicely written and so true! If only more fathers would strive to live by this very definition of a father, the world would be a better place.
GOD bless you for posting this!
Thank you and be blessed, i enjoyed reading this article,but i have question isn’t the father supposed also to protect his wife
That would be a job description for a husband.
Hi, thank you for your article the points you hit you hit well but you came up short of the most important and that is chastisement which the bible speaks much about.
Thanks, Dawn. “Discipline” is the modern word. I don’t think anybody uses the word “chastisement” much anymore. And yes, clearly discipline is a tool that a father must use in fulfilling his job. Just as he must use the tool of love.
I distinguish between the tools and the roles here.
A fathers job, teach his kids to be independent. Right from wrong. Caring , honest,trustworthy . But most of loving. A father can not do it for them,that’s wrong. Be self reliant. He will not always be your friend , but his love is there. Some believe dad should be their entertainer. Not at all true. He works hard. When you really need him,he’s there. Only time will tell if he did a good job.