29 Jun Crisis of Fatherlessness
Genesis 25:5 – Abraham gave all he had to Isaac.
As we recently celebrated Father’s Day, it’s similar to the sentiments felt by married vs single people on Valentine’s Day. It can be a great day to celebrate love, if you have it, and can also be a sad reminder for those who don’t have a significant other. The truth is, if you have a significant other, godly father, or godly mother (for Mother’s Day), you shouldn’t just need one day to celebrate and remember them.
In the same way, Father’s Day can be both a blessed, joyous holiday to celebrate our dads if we have kind, godly dads but, for many others, it can also be a stark, jarring reminder of lack in your life, whether it be a splintered relationship with a father, a father who isn’t in the picture, or a father who has passed away.
A recent study, which includes data from the U.S. Census Bureau reports that around 18.5 million children are growing up without a dad, leading to the U.S. leading the world in fatherlessness. Not exactly an award any country should want to win.
The study continues that nearly 80% of homes with only one parent are those led by single mothers, meaning nearly one-quarter of the population of youth in America is growing up without a dad at home.
The sad statistics continue about those who come from fatherless homes:
- 85% of children and teens with behavioral disorders
- 70% of adolescent patients in drug and alcohol treatment centers
- 90% of homeless and runaway children
- 9x more likely to drop out of school
- 5x more likely to live in poverty
As we study the great book of Genesis, which is essentially a giant case study on godly and ungodly fathers and families, we see that a godly dad, like Abraham, though he can make lots of mistakes throughout his life, can pass along positive traits of faith and family to his kids.
As we look at this study, we see the statistics found as a huge problem. But what is the solution?
As I’ve said before – More Fathers, Less Government. Or in this case, I should say, more (godly) fathers, less government.
The world wants to tell us that more government assistance, more help from schools, and more tax dollars will solve our problems of fatherlessness. But the truth is that only living and raising your family in a godly way can break the generational curse of fatherlessness.
As we studied a couple of weeks ago, the Success Sequence, which also was recently determined by secular researchers, essentially echoes and confirms what God set forth as a successful method of family planning: 1) Get an education 2) Get a job 3) Get married 4) Have a kid. Doing things the way God intended gives you an exponentially higher chance to avoid poverty and, likely, for fathers to stay in the home and raise their own kids to know and love God, which can resonate for generations to come.
If you have a godly dad still in your life, celebrate him not just for Father’s Day but throughout the year. If you have a bad relationship with your dad, or no dad in your life, pray for God to comfort you and for you to do better for your future family.
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