“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Matthew 5:48

To be a father is the highest aspiration that a man can have. A long time ago, God called Abram to serve Him. “Abram” means “exalted father,” but he was an old man who had no children. God chose him and entered into a covenant with him and his descendants forever. Nevertheless, to see this promise become a reality, God changed his name to Abraham, which means “father of multitudes.”

Even though the concept of ‘father’ has become distorted in our society, the closest way to describe God’s heart is still as the heart of a father. Someone once described a father as “an executive that carries folders in his hands and is always far from home.” Dr. Derek Prince said, “My God, I do not want to be that kind of father.” However, the reality of the current culture is that rebellion, irreverence and violence are widespread in today’s youth. The family is in crisis, divorces and separations are commonplace. Many men have given up their place of authority in the family, leaving their position as fathers. A desire for career advancement and more money has made many men selfish. Their excuse is that they are working for the well-being of their children, when in reality they do it for their own egos. Jesus set a goal that every disciple should reach. He did not tell us, “be a good worker,” or “be skillful in business;” although this is important. His words set a different standard that He desires for us to reach. He commanded us to be fathers with the same compassionate heart that our Heavenly Father has (Matthew 5:48).

The current crisis is a crisis of fatherhood, because men lack a clear idea of the great responsibility that raising children implies. In teaching about prayer, Jesus brought a powerful revelation to our lives, namely, that God is Father of us all (Matt. 6:6-9). The Apostle Paul also said, “God is the Father of all” (Ephesians 4:6). When fathers begin to assume their position and responsibilities, our society will begin to change.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
Together with my wife we have decided to do everything possible not to leave emotional wounds in our children’s lives. We try to give them happy memories of their childhood. However, we know that this can only be achieved by being a living example in their lives. Children always know when you are pretending. In order to raise your children in a Godly way, you must be the example of the life that God intends for them to live. When this happens, the blessing that God has for the family will be passed on to the children through the parents.

TODAY’S DECLARATION
“The Lord is my Father and with His help, I will raise a family that will serve and obey Him all the days of their lives.”

Today’s post is an excerpt from Pastor Cesar Castellanos’ book, Declarations of Power for 365 Days of the Year: Volume One.

TODAY’S BIBLE READING

• Old Testament: Exodus 35-37; Psalms 37:1-22
• New Testament: Matthew 16:1-12; Acts 22