Ina is a single older woman, who felt she didn’t belong in her church, as if she didn’t matter even to God. One day after a spiritual gift assessment, people with gifts of compassion and kindness noticed her. Caring people surrounded her with God’s love, helping her to experience community. Now her gifts are being used, her feedback is listened to, and people make time to listen and fellowship with her. Praise God she is now a vital member of her church community, and people look forward to seeing her every weekend at the exit, where she hands out sweets to children. Ina matters to God even though she is single. Every one of us needs to know that.
Today, single or married, we matter so much to God that he sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to give of himself so that we can show his love to others. He came to give us gifts of service, kindness, and leadership so that we may be built up and reach unity in the faith, growing and maturing in Christ. As the apostle Paul puts it, all who believe in Jesus make up the body of Christ here on earth, and he is our head. In His strength, the body grows and builds itself up in love. You matter to God and you matter to the people around you. Your gifts, abilities, and presence make a difference to your community, and they make a difference to God!
From [Christ] the whole body . . . builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. (Ephesians 4:16).
Let’s Pray
Yahweh, thank you for loving me and growing me to be a part of your body. Father, thank you for putting people around me who show that I matter. Amen.
Today you might find yourself remembering some of the triumphs and trials of the past year. Even if you have had wonderful successes in the past twelve months, you can probably remember some low points.
As you enter a new year, I hope you remember that God’s plans have always been to prosper you. He can transform ordinary events and difficult trials into key moments that help his plans to prosper. He is not out to harm us, but the dark moments we experience can be part of the most important lessons to help us grow nearer to him.
Today ponder on this thought: God has a way of saving His world that we may find hard to understand. He introduced His Son into the world and brought about our salvation in a way that could easily be overlooked by this secular world. Yet He has changed the world, and His Kingdom keeps growing. That same God comes into our lives and draws us into His plans for a hope-filled future! Thank you, God!
“I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11).
Let’s Pray
Yahweh, my life is in your hands. Father, I praise you for the joys you have brought me in the past year, and for the ways you refined me through the trials in my life. Lord, prepare me to be part of your work in the year ahead. In Jesus’s name, Amen.
Growing up, I was the smallest boy in class. I used to want to be tall like some of the others. Did you know that when you compare yourself to others or wish you were like someone else, it’s like saying God didn’t do a good job with you? You’re actually saying, “God, why did You make me sub-par? Why did You make me less than the others?”
Realise today, God didn’t make anyone inferior. He didn’t make any person second class. You are a masterpiece! You are fully loaded and totally equipped for the race that’s been designed for your life! Say to yourself “I may not look like someone else, or have the job that someone else has, but that’s okay. Nobody will ever be a better me.”
Today, let your attitude be, “I’m anointed to be me. I’m equipped to be me!” Remember, it’s easy to do what you are equipped to do. Don’t fall into the trap of trying to be like someone else. Accept who God made you to be, and embrace the good things He has prepared for you!
“I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made…” (Psalm 139:14, KJV)
Let’s Pray
Yahweh, thank You for making me, me. Father, thank You for equipping me so I can fulfil my destiny. God, today, I choose to focus on what You’ve placed in my hand, knowing that as I am faithful to You, You will direct my steps. I bless You and praise You for who You are, in Christ’ Name! Amen.
Growing up in the UK, when people bought something new, we used to say that they were trying to “keep up with the Jones’s (trying to compete with your neighbours).” It’s easy to be tempted to go through life competing with everyone around us. When we see someone who’s more talented, better looking or has more gifts, instead of running our race and being comfortable with who we are, oftentimes we feel inferior and think, “I’ve got to catch up to my neighbours and friends.” The problem with this unhealthy competition is that it’s a never-ending cycle.
Did you know there will always be someone ahead of you? But it’s very freeing when you realise, “I’m not in a competition.” I don’t have to have as big a house as my neighbour to feel good about myself. I don’t have to keep up with my co-worker. I don’t have to be a certain size. No, I understand that I’m not in competition with my friend, my neighbour or my co-worker.
Today, say to yourself “I’m going to be the best me that I can possibly be, I’m going to run my own race, I’m going to stay in my lane, I will not compete with anyone.” Now, that’s an attitude God can work with. When you focus on being who God made you to be, that’s when you’ll rise up higher, and position yourself for every spiritual blessing He has in store for you!
“…let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…” (Hebrews 12:1-2, NKJV)
Let’s Pray
Yahweh, I humbly come to You giving You all that I am. Father, help me keep my eyes on You and no one else. Please work on my heart and mind, so I will learn to stay in my lane and run my own race. God, I want You to be my only focus. I want to be free from competition today, in Christ’ Name! Amen.
God’s truth sets us free and causes our faith to grow! Scripture tells us that every person has been given a measure of faith. Faith can grow and increase, or it can be diminished. Today’s scripture doesn’t say, “Faith comes by having heard the Word of God one time.” No, it’s by hearing—present tense. Sure, God’s Word can transform us in an instant, but most of the time, we need to hear God’s truth over and over again in order for it to become active in our lives.
The more we hear the Word, the more His truth chisels away at the doubt and unbelief that’s been built up over the years.
Today, just as a seed needs water daily to grow, your spirit also needs the Word of God daily. Your faith needs to be watered by His Word. It can be as simple as selecting a few scriptures to meditate on daily. Write them down and carry them in your purse or wallet. Read them out loud over and over. Let His truth sink down into your heart, and move you forward into the freedom and victory God has prepared for you!
“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” (Romans 10:17, NKJV)
Let’s Pray
Yahweh, thank You for Your Word that is living and active and growing in my life. Father, I submit myself to You today, and ask You to teach me Your ways. God, give me insight into Your Word so that I may know You, and my faith may grow, in Christ’ name! Amen.
I learnt while in Africa that rain is symbolic of God’s blessing and favour. Someone once said God’s Word is like rain that causes us to flourish and blossom. Scripture says we should live like a well-watered garden, vibrant and growing. We should live under a cloud of God’s blessing.
I’m told a cloud is formed when moisture rises up from the earth into the atmosphere. Eventually, the moisture is so abundant that the rain begins to fall. In the same way, your praise is like the invisible moisture that rises up to heaven and forms a cloud of blessings which will activate an outpouring of God’s blessing, favour and provision in your life. Hallelujah!
Today, if you feel like you are in a dry season, begin to praise and thank God that He is bringing you through to a place of refreshing. Praise God and magnify Him for His goodness until your praise forms clouds of blessings. As you turn up your praise, God will send down rain of blessings, and you will experience His abundant outpouring in every area of your life!
“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth. It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:10–11, NIV)
Let’s Pray
Yahweh, today I praise and honour You. Father, thank You for this day. Thank You for giving me life. Thank You for making me new. Thank You for saving me and filling me with Your peace and joy. Hallelujah. I bless Your most Holy Name. God, please rain Your blessings on me today. I love You, in Christ’s Name! Amen.
“The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.” (Proverbs 4:18, NLT)
With many of our youth today growing up without a father-figure in their lives, it becomes hard for them to trust God and love God. Unlike David, who despite lives challenges, he chose to put his life in the hands of the Lord. In Psalms 31:15, He says, “I trust You, God, because I know You are good, my times are in Your hands.” Are you willing, despite an absent father-figure, poor relationships or trust issues, to release every area of your life to the Father who will never abandon you or let you down? Are you willing to trust Him with every time and season of your life?
Today, you may be in a situation that you don’t fully understand, but take heart God is a good God, you can trust Him. He is working on your behalf. If you’ll keep your heart surrendered to Him, you’ll begin to see things change in your favour. As you continue to trust Him, He’ll open doors for you. God, will take what the enemy meant for evil in your life, and He’ll turn it around for your good. Keep standing, keep believing, and trust Him. Your times are in His hands!
“My times are in Your hands…” (Psalm 31:15, NIV)
Let’s Pray
Yahweh, thank you for being there for me, today I choose to trust You. Father, I trust that You are working on my behalf. God, I trust You with my whole life, my times are in Your hands. Please help me to stay close to You today, so that I can hear Your voice. In Christ’s Name! Amen.
Just as a seed needs water daily to grow, your life needs the Word of God daily. The more you hear God’s Word, the more you know Him. The more you know Him, the more you will believe in Him, and that’s what faith is all about!
We all need more faith. The Scripture tells us that faith can grow and increase. The Scripture doesn’t say, “Faith comes by having heard the Word of God one time.” It says “faith comes by hearing.” We have to hear the Word of God over and over again in order for it to take root in our hearts, and transform our faith and minds. God’s Word can transform us in an instant, but most of the time, our faith grows as we hear the Word of God consistently.
Today, choose a few Scriptures to meditate on. Write them down on small cards and carry them with you daily, so that God’s truth in His Word will transform your mind through the increase of your faith, and move you forward into the blessed life God has prepared for you!
“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” (Romans 10:17, NKJV)
Let’s Pray
Yahweh, thank You for Your Word that is living, active and growing in my life. Father, I submit myself to You today. Please teach me Your ways so that my faith will grow. God, give me more understanding of Your Word so that I may know and love You more, in Christ’s Name! Amen.
Growing up, I used to believe that weakness was as a result of continued sinning in one’s life. Sometimes, people get distracted by what they consider to be a disadvantage or weakness. It may be something about their personality or looks, maybe they’ve been through an unfair situation: a divorce, loss of a job, or just a bad break. We all have things that can feel like disadvantages, things that make life hard and difficult. It can even be a mental or physical disability.
In 2020 you may have been “disadvantaged.” However, just because you’ve been through a tough time, it doesn’t mean you’re supposed to sit back in 2021 and settle where you are.
Today and in this new year, God has something great for you to do! He wants to show Himself strong in your weakness. The Holy Spirit wants to help you when you feel weak and low. Stay strong in faith, and let God take what you see as a disadvantage and turn it around into an advantage, so you can move forward into the abundant life He has for you! Hallelujah!
“And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness…” (Romans 8:26, NLT)
Let’s Prayer
Yahweh, I give You all that I am – my weaknesses, my disadvantages, my emotional and physical pain. Father, I invite You into the weak places in my life so that You can make me strong. God, thank You for working in my life in 2020 despite my weakness, and using me for Your glory, in Christ’s Name! Amen.
If you’ve never been in the habit of keeping a faith journal, you might think your meditative prayer and reading scripture has given you a strong spiritual life. But beginning your journaling journey can supplement your spiritual practices and make tangible much of the faith you’ve taken for granted. Staring a faith journal is a great way to track your daily prayers, the gratitude you feel for God’s gifts and offers new ways of exploring scripture. Take that leap of faith today.
1) Creative Prayer
A faith journal doesn’t have to be exclusively about writing. Color, shape and doodling – whatever takes your heart’s desire – can all have its place in your faith journal.
If your prayer is directed at someone special, it can feel exceptionally powerful to write their name and sketch a growing, colorful shape around it. Once their name appears on the page, glorified by color, you can write your prayer for them or simply think about it. But the prayer will have a physical manifestation that can strengthen it.
You can also sketch mandalas in a meditative way. These complex patterns of repeating shapes can be relaxing to sink into, and drawing and coloring them can become a form of prayer in itself. It’s your faith journal, so get creative!
2) Making Prayer Tangible
The time you spend in prayer each day forms a valuable foundation for your spiritual life and strengthens your connection with God. When this takes place in your mind it’s almost a meditative practice, and can often lead to a profound inner feeling.
Writing your prayers down can strengthen them further as the process of putting your thoughts into writing can make them more tangible. Through your faith journal you can pursue a closer connection to God, creating a concrete history of your prayers and devotion on any given day.
If you write in a stream-of-consciousness, letting the words flow out of you, you might be surprised at what you look down to read. New, deep ideas can turn up on the page without conscious effort. Alternatively, writing your prayers in bullet form can help you conceive of them more accurately and make them easier to review in the future.
3) Scripture Is Powerful On The Page
Strengthening your connection to scripture is a great way to explore your faith. We all have particular passages that speak to us, those that we come back to time and again to find peace in or contemplation amongst. Reading scripture is one thing, but journaling scripture can take your understanding of your favorite passages to another level.
Exploring the idea of a crossbook – a book that comes with printed scripture on one side of the page and a blank side opposite for your thoughts and notes – is a great way to begin your faith journal. You can underline and highlight the passages that speak to you on one side, while elaborating on how it deepens your devotion on the other. You’ll be on a path to wisdom and faith.
4) Track Your Holiest Behaviours
A faith journal can also function as a diary for all your holiest habits, letting you reflect on your past week or month and consider ways you can better manifest your faith in the future. You can record how many hours you spent volunteering, how your generosity manifested and how long you prayed for in your faith journal.
Having a record of these behaviours can make it easier to strengthen them as routine habits. All these practices have great spiritual value and your faith journal will encourage you to perform them more often.
5) Express Your Gratitude
There are many spiritual and psychological benefits to gratitude, yet if you don’t make an effort to express your gratitude it can often slip away without being recognized. Journaling gives you an example to record God’s gifts, ensuring that you value them for what they are.
Taking time out of each day to write down what God has brought you can make each day, no matter how hectic or stressful, seem a little brighter.
Amen
Keeping a faith journal has so many spiritual and psychological benefits and it’s sure to strengthen your relationship with God as well as developing a deeper understanding of his message. Get creative with your faith journal with colors, shapes and content. You’ll soon find out it’s a habit that’s hard to break.
Katherine Rundell is a spiritual writer at UKWritings.com and Academized.com services. She works with local church groups to inspire young people to explore their faith in new and creative ways. She is also a proofreader at Boomessays.com.
Life is full of highs and lows, twists and turns, and ups and downs. But did you know that everything you’ve been through up until now is preparing you for what God is going to do with you and for you? No trial, challenge or difficulty you’ve been through has been wasted. Every disappointment, setback, every person that did you wrong, every lonely night, God is going to turn around and use for your good! Hallelujah!
Every difficulty helps us grow and mature. When our faith is stretched, our character is developed and made stronger. God didn’t send that hardship, but He’ll use it to get you prepared for your next step. Those adversities will mould you into the person you are called to be.
Today, you may be experiencing tough times, but remember, God is growing you, maturing you, and stretching your faith. Have the attitude that says, “This is a new day. Things are shifting for my good. This difficulty is not going to stop me. It’s going to elevate me. God is going to use it to lift me up and lead me into victory all the days of my life!”
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28, NIV)
Let’s Pray Yahweh, thank You for delivering me through some hard trials. Father, I will always dwell in Your presence. I know that with You, no trial will defeat me and all things will work out for my good. God, I thank You for Your peace and protection as You carry me through the difficult places into the place of victory, in Christ’s Name! Amen.
Growing up in the UK, every Sunday we used to gather around the TV to watch an exciting programme called surprise surprise. A surprise is something good that you weren’t really expecting. It’s something that makes you feel special, and lets you know that you are thought about. It brings us joy and lifts our hearts. Good news! God has a surprise for you and wants to overtake you with His goodness.
In the Hebrew, the word “overtake” can also be translated “to catch by surprise.” God wants to catch you by surprise! He wants to help you accomplish your dreams and overcome your obstacles. He wants to amaze you with His goodness and mercy. Every morning you should wake up with the attitude, “I can’t wait to see what God will surprise me with today!”
Today, make room in your heart and mind for what God wants to do in your life. For all of the blessings and favour that will come your way, keep an attitude of faith and expectancy. Let God surprise you with His love, and overtake you with His blessings and miracles!
“If you will listen diligently to the voice of the Lord your God, being watchful to do all His commandments which I command you…all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you…” (Deuteronomy 28:1—2, AMP)
Let’s Pray
Yahweh, I open my heart and mind to You right now. Father, surprise me, fill me with Your goodness and overtake me with Your blessings. Almighty God, I honour You and invite You to use me to be a blessing to others, in Christ’s Name! Amen.
There is an old saying – “you can’t do the same thing all the time and expect a different result.” Too often, it’s easy to get stuck in a rut, doing the same thing, the same way, over and over every day. But if we are going to live at our absolute best, our optimum, we should constantly be growing and sharpening our skills. We should strive to learn and grow every single day, because when you stop learning, you stop growing. When you stop growing, you stop living.
Right now what are you doing to stretch yourself? What are you doing to improve your skills? Don’t get trapped into thinking that what you are doing is good enough. You were created for more than just average. Hallelujah!
Today is a new day, and there are new heights for you to climb. Pursue what you love and keep developing that area of your life. Take a class, or find a mentor that will help you live skillfully. Increase in your spiritual giftings. Be skilled at your work and stand blessed before leaders, rulers and politicians!
“Do you see someone skilled in their work? They will serve before kings…”
(Proverbs 22:29, NIV)
Pray With Me Yahweh, today I choose to rise out of mediocrity. I want to live and not just survive. I want to stop doing the same thing everyday and expecting a different result. Father, I choose to give my very best to everything I do. Teach me how to grow, improve, and stretch myself, so that I can live a better life and be the best I can be. God, teach me to live skillfully, so that my life is a continual praise to You, in Christ’s Name! Amen.
Albinism is the “congenital absence of any pigmentation or coloration in a person, animal or plant, resulting in white hair, feathers, scales and skin and pink eyes in mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish and other small invertebrates as well.”Varied use and interpretation of the terms mean that written reports of albinistic animals can be difficult to verify.
For ages, Judith had a feeling that she would struggle to become pregnant. There wasn’t a medical explanation for this — it was simply a niggling fear.
She and her husband struggled to believe they would ever become parents after years went by without her becoming pregnant. “I found myself getting anxious and desperate,” Judith first wrote on Love What Matters.
“The fear remained no matter how hard I tried to stay positive. However, Eight years down the line, my husband and I decided to go for our second round of IVF. The first of which failed, as well as other various procedures and fertility treatments. Every ultrasound visit after that was horror”
Judith
The couple could hardly contain their joy when that second round of IVF proved successful.
Judith was carrying twins — a boy, Kamis, and a girl, Kachi.
It felt remarkable that after all these years, their aspirations and dreams of a family were about to be real.
However, mum’s joy quickly turned to horror as doctors broke the news that Kachi was “at risk and might not make it”. “Every ultrasound visit after that was a nightmare as Kachi was far behind in growth whiles Kamsi did great.
“Finally, at 37 weeks, I had to be induced immediately because I was told that Kachi had stopped growing..” After the birth Nurses let Judith hold her daughter briefly before she was whisked to the NICU.
“The first time I saw her, I wondered if the nurse was handing me my baby, or someone else’s,” Judith said. “I waited a few seconds for someone to tell me there was a mix-up?” “Soon the joy of seeing them both healthy surpassed any other feeling at that instant.”
“How did I get black and white twins?”
Several days later Judith and her husband were told that their baby girl had albinism.
“I loved my princess like every mother would love her baby but worried about her condition,” Judith said.
“I worried about her future, how society would treat her, how she’ll be accepted.
“Gradually, worry turned to sadness and I started questioning “I envied other black babies and thought, ‘Why me? Why was I the one to have an albino baby?’
“How did I get black and white twins?”
“I threw the braille sheets in the garbage”
Unfortunately, medical professionals were quick to affirm Judith’s worst fears and told her that Kachi would struggle to see and would likely need to learn to read braille.
“I couldn’t imagine Kachi reading with braille and threw the braille sheets in the garbage.” She said
“She’s so smart and has a strong personality. She knows what she wants and will always go for it. “I always tell her how beautiful she is, because she really is.
“I’m not sure she`s aware of her uniqueness at the moment, but eventually she’ll know.”
“It’s my responsibility to educate her and teach her to love herself no matter what.
Albinism
Albinism affects the production of melanin, the pigment that colours skin, hair and eyes. It’s a lifelong condition, but it doesn’t get worse over time.
People with albinism have a reduced amount of melanin, or no melanin at all. This can affect their colouring and their eyesight.
Albinism is caused by faulty genes that a child inherits from their parents.
Symptoms of albinism
Hair and skin colour
People with albinism often have white or very light blonde hair, although some have brown or ginger hair. The exact colour depends on how much melanin their body produces.
Very pale skin that burns easily in the sun and doesn’t usually tan is also typical of albinism.
Eye colour
Someone with albinism can have pale blue, grey or brown eyes. Eye colour depends on the type of albinism and the amount of melanin. People from ethnic groups with darker pigmentation tend to have darker coloured eyes.
Eye problems
The reduced amount of melanin can also cause other eye problems. This is because melanin is involved in the development of the retina, the thin layer of cells at the back of the eye.
astigmatism — where the cornea (clear layer at the front of the eye) isn’t perfectly curved or the lens is an abnormal shape, causing blurred vision
photophobia — where the eyes are sensitive to light
nystagmus — where the eyes move involuntarily from side to side, causing reduced vision; you don’t see the world as “wobbling” because your brain adapts to your eye movement
squint — where the eyes point in different directions
Some young children with albinism may appear clumsy because problems with their eyesight can make it difficult for them to perform certain movements, such as picking up an object. This should improve as they get older.
How albinism is inherited
The two main types of albinism are:
oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) — the most common type, affecting the skin, hair and eyes
ocular albinism (OA) — a rarer type that mainly affects the eyes
Autosomal recessive inheritance
In most cases, including all types of OCA and some types of OA, albinism is passed on in an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern. This means a child has to inherit two copies of the faulty gene (one from each parent) to have the condition.
If both parents carry the gene, there’s a 1 in 4 chance that their child will have albinism and a 1 in 2 chance that their child will be a carrier. Carriers don’t have albinism but can pass on the faulty gene.
X-linked inheritance
Some types of OA are passed on in an X-linked inheritance pattern. This pattern affects boys and girls differently: girls who inherit the faulty gene become carriers and boys who inherit the faulty gene will get albinism.
When a mother is a carrier of an X-linked type of albinism, each of her daughters has a 1 in 2 chance of becoming a carrier and each of her sons has a 1 in 2 chance of having albinism.
When a father has an X-linked type of albinism, his daughters will become carriers, and his sons won’t have albinism and won’t be carriers.
If you have a history of albinism in your family or you have a child with the condition, you may want to talk to your GP about getting a referral for genetic counselling.
A genetic counsellor provides information, support and advice about genetic conditions. For example, you can discuss with them how you inherited albinism and the chances of passing it on.
Albinism is usually obvious from a baby’s appearance when they’re born. Your baby’s hair, skin and eyes may be examined to look for signs of missing pigment.
As albinism can cause a number of eye problems, your baby may be referred to an eye specialist (ophthalmologist) for tests to check for conditions such as nystagmus, squint and astigmatism.
Electrodiagnostic testing is also sometimes used to help diagnose albinism. This is where small electrodes are stuck to the scalp to test the connections of the eyes to the part of the brain that controls vision.
As soon as Rhys heard the front door open, he jumped up and began shouting for joy, “Mom Daddy’s home, Daddy’s home!”. His heartbeat racing and his brown eyes shining excitedly, anticipating playtime with Daddy. A wide grin spread across Rhys’s face as Daddy acted like a big bear. Daddy quickly dropping down onto one knee so that he’d be at his son’s height to horse around the living room. Sadly this scene is becoming a rear sight to see.
Today let’s talk about the invisible dads, the ones who don’t marry Mummy, don’t support their kids and don’t hang around for the hugs, kisses and nappy changes. There are millions of them around the world, and their numbers are growing.
“Today, more than one in four births is to an unmarried mother, and more than one in 10 births is to a teenager. These numbers portend a future of fragile families. Once considered primarily a racial problem, fatherless homes have increased across a wide range of demographics over the last ten years.”
How have we come to the point where a child with two parents is the exception rather than the norm? It is time that we put the issue of fatherless families front and center on our national agenda.
So who’s the real problem here? And why should we care?
It is time to shift our attention to the issue of male responsibility, and to the indispensable role that fathers play in our society.
Firstly, it would be an oversimplification to assume that two parents are always better than one as there are many courageous and loving single moms and daddy’s who are able to balance the competing demands on their time and attention, to care and provide for their children alone.
However, contrary to the sentiments of our culture and though our society is only beginning to recognize it, the presence of fathers within the home is vital to the moral integrity of a society. The short-term effects are already far too evident as statistics reveal that the loss of fathers is reverberating throughout the world in the form of social pathologies ranging from teen pregnancy to drug abuse.
Fatherless children are five times more likely to be poor and twice as likely to drop out of school as children who live with both parents.
Boys, without proper male role models, look to other sources for the male bonding they need. In the inner cities that often entails gangs while in the suburbs it tends to be online.
“According to the latest statistics, the increase in the proportion of single-parent families accounted for about half of the overall increase in child poverty from 1979 through to 1987.”
The Scriptures warn us about the power of fatherhood, as well as the long-lasting impact that fatherhood has on us all. Exodus 20:4-6.” Fatherlessness is the most harmful demographic trend of this generation
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree
“The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree” could be both about habits/behavior and also looks. Have you ever thought about that? Do you often find yourself reacting to a situation the way your father did? or scarier yet…do you ever see your mannerisms in your son? The footprint of a father leaves a permanent mark on the soul of a child.
Fatherhood is under assault
We hear a lot about the war on women…but it is the war on Dads that is causing the greatest damage in the world today. It’s not hard to find. If you watch any popular sitcom on television today, you’ll likely notice that fathers are typically portrayed as childish, irresponsible, lazy, incompetent and stupid.
The doofus dad stereotype isn’t new. There’s Fred Flinstone, and even Charlie Brown’s monotone parents. But according to Tierny, the consistency of these new portrayals has slowly created a new norm opposed to what being a father used to mean.
Dads make a difference. Dads can be heroes – if only we give them the chance. We remain optimistic that family still has more influence than media.
We all need another hero
Fathers are representatives of God on earth; as our heavenly father is the giver of life so also are the earthly father’s givers of life. Malachi 4:6 says “And he will turn, the hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”
God understands the importance of a father’s love and cares towards their children and He has set the standard by being the first example of a loving father.
“The SARRI report quotes research which found that “the presence of a father can contribute to cognitive development, intellectual functioning, and school achievement. Children growing up without fathers are more likely to experience emotional disturbances and depression.”
“Girls who grow up with their fathers are more likely to have higher self-esteem, lower levels of risky sexual behaviour, and fewer difficulties in forming and maintaining romantic relationships later in life. They have less likelihood of having an early pregnancy, bearing children outside marriage, marrying early, or getting divorced.”
A father’s touch
The first thing, therefore, that a father can do for his children is to love their mother. Another part of a father’s task is that of a protector for his family. But, Daddy also has another task in the home, which is to combine tenderness with strength, and to model the combination so consistently that the children regard the combination as natural.
Our kids must come to know naturally both that dad’s standards protect them, and that his love makes them strong.
Where have all the fathers gone?
Our courts do not value fatherhood as much as motherhood. In 2015 it is still the case that mothers and fathers do not have equal rights
And herein lies the problem. Our expectation of the role a separated father should play in his children’s lives is so low, that when half of dads who win “access” to their kids can’t even sleep under the same roof as their offspring, academics declare this to be an overwhelming success. One of the fruits of the feminist movement many claim is the idea that a woman is more responsible as a parent than the father is.
“He is not my Dad…he is just someone you sleep with!” How many mothers have felt the sting of those words? That is why God hates divorce. We should too.
Our culture has put asunder things which God has joined together—things such as tenderness and strength. It is the job of the father to put them back together again.
Fatherhood, like Motherhood has is its own rewards – as most dads have found. Sadly, for the others, the invisible ones, it is a gift foolishly squandered.
