Fathers!

For Saturday, June 15, 2024:

Luke 15:23b-24 NLT, Father, upon the return of the prodigal son: “We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ And so the party began.”

Perhaps our Bibles title this section incorrectly. We know it as the Prodigal Son, the one who rebelled and ran away from home. But there is an older son, insanely jealous of all the prodigal had been given. He had no love for his brother, and any love he once had for his father was fading. Maybe he’s the one who needs to change! We could also rightfully title this The Loving, Compassionate and Forgiving Father. Let’s dig in to this.

Tomorrow is Father’s Day in the US, when we honor all those who are called Daddy! Remember that the Lord conceived our family system, a father and a mother who then procreate. They leave their parents to create this new family. There is a place for and specific necessary job descriptions for a father. Unfortunately, we’re experiencing a father absence crisis in the US.

Believe it or not, 1 in 4 US children live in a household without any kind of a father, without a patriarch to lead the way. Having no father in the home leads to more poverty, behavioral problems, teen pregnancy, abuse and neglect in the family, abuse of drugs and alcohol, and much more likely to drop out of school. Children with a missing parent are more susceptible to being led into crime, and stand an 82% chance of incarceration during their lifetime.

Bad fathering is hereditary. If your father came up short, then your fathering will likely mirror his actions. If our country is to survive, we need to break this cycle. Both children and their fathers need to return to their families. Families need to read their Bibles and return to church. Our nation needs to raise up the Lord to his rightful place of being central in our lives.

The sooner the better!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship