Fathers, Tell Them Why
Fathers, we must model, for our children, what the life of a Jesus-worshipping man looks like. We desire our boys to grow up to be one, we desire our girls, if they marry, to grow up to marry one. And so we must model, for them, what the life of a Jesus-worshipping man looks like.
We want our children to be able to say,
“I know that a Jesus-worshipping man reads the Bible, because my daddy worships Jesus, and I regularly see him reading his Bible.”
“I know that a Jesus-worshipping man prays, because my daddy worships Jesus, and I see him, every morning, get on his knees and pray.
I know that a Jesus-worshipping man asks for forgiveness when he fails to live like Jesus, because my daddy worships Jesus, and that is what he does.
I know that a Jesus-worshipping man leads his family to church, because my daddy worships Jesus, and he leads us there every Sunday.
Fathers, we must model, for our children, what the life of a Jesus-worshipping man looks like. But if that is all we do, then our children will know well what a Jesus-worshipping man does, but not why he does it.
Fathers, my exhortation to you, invite your children into the why of what you do.
When you do, it might sound like this:
Son, do you know why daddy is praying this morning? Daddy is praying because even though you think daddy is strong, and wise, he actually isn’t all that strong, he isn’t all that wise. Daddy is actually needy. Daddy needs Jesus to make him strong today. Daddy needs Jesus to help him to know what decisions to make today. Daddy needs Jesus to remind him that Jesus loves daddy, for daddy often forgets that. Son, when daddy is praying, Jesus, even though we don’t see him, is here, leaning in, and listening.
Daughter, do you know why daddy is reading the Bible right now? We have other books in this house to read, some with color, some with pictures, but Daddy is reading this book, the Bible, because while all those other books have been written by people, this one is written by God. Our other books are about animals, insects, adventures — all things God made, but this book is about the God who made them, and about how and why he made them. This book reminds daddy about who he was, who God has made him to be, and about the great home that God has promised daddy, and anyone else who’d turn from sin and worship Jesus.
Kids, do you know why daddy leads his family to church every Sunday? It is because Sunday is where we tell the world that Jesus is real. Sunday is when we meet with the people whom we will inherit heaven with. Sunday is how, one way how, God keeps us, his people. Sunday is when God’s people go to church to get a taste of a future reality. Children, that is why we go to church.
Fathers, we must model, for our children, what the life of a Jesus-worshipping man looks like. But even more, we must tell them why. The why if where we get to talk about the good stuff — the glory of our God, the kindness of our God, the sheer, soul-satisfying goodness of our God, that is why, that is the light, the beauty, the treasure we get the honor to regularly show to our children. Fathers, the opportunities before you are many, and so I exhort you, tell them why.
Let’s pray: Father, it is the fathers who come to you now, asking for your grace to give words, give the why’s, behind our actions. That we’d reveal not mere good-activity, not legalism, not obligation, but joy, to our children. Love to our children. Satisfaction to our children. And we ask for your forgiveness for the many times we have not done so: We’ve been distracted, we’ve said we were too tired, too stressed, too busy with other things. Oh lord, forgive us. And Father, we as a whole church come before you, though many are not fathers, we are Jesus-worshippers, and we possess a similar opportunity and capacity to explain to others, this is why I read the Bible, this is why I pray, this is why I go to church, this is why I worship Jesus. And yet, we’ve neglected this opportunity, for many of the same reasons already mentioned. Lord, we ask for your forgiveness, and we ask for your grace to change. And father, in this moment we, the church, bring before you all the other ways we’ve sinned this week, fallen short, missed the mark, we bring them all before you, now, in this time of silent confession.