“These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” – Deuteronomy 6:6-7.
Fatherhood is a psycho-social development which leads one to a stage of responsibility in life. But more to the above understanding is its primary contribution – religiously, politically and socially – to the overall growth of human society. Fatherhood derives its existence from manhood; so responsible fatherhood stems out of implicit understanding about the mission of man onearth.
Why am I a male should be a question of primary concern to everyman. This is because a personal discovery of what God created him to be is crucial to his function and activities in life. It will further inform his understanding that the idea of fatherhood is not an issue of culture, but an articulation of broader view about God’s definite purpose concerning him.
As a father, he must always understand what his roles are, and the dynamics of his responsibilities in the sight of God. Ab initio, this brings us to the question of “who really is a father?” Here, the Greek lexicon provides us with the root word, doacin-pate or pa (meaning nourisher, protector and upholder). This definition provides us better information about the role of a father in a society, in nation building and the other values he bears on human lives in homes, churches and in offices.
In God’s dictionary, various shades of understanding of the word “father” or “fatherhood” are generically harmonised to enforce a single purpose of man, and the real essence of his being a father. Wholly, a father is one who, by virtue of his position in the family or in a community, nourishes, protects and upholds both human lives and societal values.
From the socio-religious and political dimensions, a father plays significant role as progenitor (the one through whom children come into natural existence) of the immediate family. This is why he determines all that happens in the family. The dignity of the family revolves around him. He is the rallying point of every human being around him, and one who brought in the wife. Consequently, he bears the responsibility of providing purpose, focus, direction, sustenance, protection and preservation for members of the family.
This sacred thrust places him on the unique position as the leader and symbol of authority over his children. He is the sole authority recognised by God to bring the divine covenant over his own life to bear on his children. He is the connecting rod by which all plans of God and ancestral values are transmitted to the next generation, by the impartation of his godliness on the family.
These values, when transmitted to the next generation, become a pillar of morality upon which development of society rest.
Religiously, a father is a spiritual ancestor who infuses his spirit into others. Unfortunately, most fathers have just remained the biological father of their children, without impartation of good spiritual values to them. This does not go down well for the development of society. Being a father to several people in the faith and in our profession is a divine mandate on men. Here, fatherhood goes beyond ordinary status to service. It becomes a relationship between the younger and the older, the experienced and the inexperienced, the family and the larger society, the individual and the institution.
From the socio-economic perspective, a father bequeaths altruistic value of creativity to the succeeding generation. As a father, he naturally invents ideas, creates, make or composes anything. He is seen as an author, contriver, founder, director or instructor.
As a father, he is totally consumed by passion for progressive attainment of others around him, and thinks of how to make his children become better adults in their time.
As we triumphantly celebrate fatherhood, which is one of the precious gifts of God to humanity, one of the challenges to overcome, is that of poor marital relationship between spouses. The challenge of relational-vulnerability towards one’s spouse, family and God, must be placed on the front burner. This is because there can be no healthy society, when there is no healthy marriage.
A man must come to the understanding that he is the resting post of the wife and compass of the children. And if he fails to affect the children in positive ways for tomorrow’s society, then his presence in the home is a disgrace to God.
In this era of insurgency in Nigeria, and the world at large, we need fathers who impresses upon their children the true value and sanctity of human life. This present generation eagerly waits for the manifestation of real fathers.