FATHERHOOD - DR. MENSA OTABIL

FATHERHOOD - DR. MENSA OTABIL

Fatherhood is an intimate way through which Jesus introduced God to mankind.

Luke 11:2, Matthew 7:7-11
Our understanding and relationship to our earthly fathers may affect our relationship and understanding to our Heavenly Father.
There's a mental block between the way your Heavenly Father expects you to believe and how your earthly father treated you.
*Earthly fathers must submit to the Heavenly Father.

*Earthly fathers receive authority from the Heavenly Father.

*Earthly Fathers must reflect the Heavenly Father. Fatherhood is an expression of who God is: love, caring, just and should not be based on the current culture. Culture has made fatherhood difficult for us.
Fatherhood is not primarily biological but rather a covenant relationship. Not the capacity to impregnate a woman but the capacity to relate to what you produce.

BECOMING A FATHER 1 Corinthians 13:11
*BOY BECOMES A MAN: learn to be yourself. Develop skills and strength. Build your convictions and develop a sense of responsibility and self control. Also learn sexual responsibility to help restrain yourself and maintain faithfulness in marriage. Control your impulses.
*MAN BECOMES A HUSBAND -learn to give of yourself. Marriage makes you grow through sharing.
*HUSBAND BECOMES FATHER - learn to give beyond yourself. Children will demand more than you can offer."To be a man nawa oo ".

Genesis 14:14-16 ABRAHAM AS A MODEL FATHER.
1. Train Your Children. Proverbs 22:6
Lay down the rules, principles and discipline of life.
*Establish a Christ-centered mindset in our children. Coming to church, praying should be a pleasure and not an annoying duty or punishment. Don't let them resent God and His presence.
*Correct bad habits and attitudes. Don't overlook children's mistakes and misdemeanors.
*Encourage curiosity and questions. Don't shut and cut their questions and quest for knowledge short but be patient with them and answer them in love.

2. Arm Your Children - Equip them with the right tools to execute what you have trained them for.
*Equip each child with a useful skill. Sending them to school isn't enough. Help children navigate career options to turn their education and skills and talents into something they can live on and work with. " Guide the conversation, don't make the decisions for them."
*Invest in starting up your children. Help them to get established. Be hardworking and have your children in focus all the time. This causes your children to honour you all the time. Use the little God blesses you with to make their lives better.
*Surround your children with prayer.
3. Help your children to pursue their goals.
*Support the aspirations of your children and trust their judgement.
*Monitor their progress with interest. Don't compare them with others.
*Celebrate their successes and reassure them through challenges. A father's appreciation and presence swells the confidence and resolve of their children. Be there for them on special occasions in their lives such as graduations.

HOW TO HONOUR YOUR FATHER.
1. Esteem his name that you carry. Don't take the name for granted and disgrace it.
2. Endeavour to show kindness to him no matter how undeserving and wicked he has been to you. Forgive and love them regardless.
3. Help fulfill their unfulfilled dreams.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to the MIGHTY MEN OF VALOUR out there.