FATHER'S DAY TRIBUTE

                 

      

By Aggrey Muhangi  Kahababo

  "Burried in every boy, is a potential of being a father"  -- Dr.Myles Munroe

To all current and future fathers, today being a father's day, allow me to extend my  sincere appreciations to all fathers wherever you are. Thank you for all the good work, you are doing amidist several challenges of life. This day comes as a remimder for us not to give up on becoming better fathers no matter the harsh economic, political and social conditions. For if we do give up, we put society and the entire nation at the verge of collapse. Our being fathers  comes as a tait that all males share with FATHER in Heaven. Just like our FATHER never abandons , gives up or let go of his evelasting love for us, let us emulate and look up to him for all the motivation and inspiration.

In this article, I want to focus on the role of the father as the head. What does it mean by Father being the head?. Well, we all have a mental picture of what a father is depending on the societies we come from and it is that mental picture that I have come to challenge or uphold today. Unless we get a clear understanding of what "being the head" means, we shall continue to abuse this responsibility there by being a source of problems both to our selves and the entire society.

To begin with, a father is the head of a family as a result of God's design. (timing and creation). However, this is not mean that he is superior, better or greater, those under his care. It simply means that he has the first responsibility and accountability for the family. Being the head is not an a value statement about worth or intrinsic value. The father can never say that being the head makes him the greatest. Jesus Christ, the head of the church humbled himself  as a servant. I hear many men say "I am the head of this house" but they forget the accountability and duty of being the head. The father has a responsibility to preserve, protect, nourish, and guide his wife and children.  Let's take a look at the different roles of a father in the view of being the head.

Fathers plan
If any man claims to be the father and head of a home, then he must have the mind of Christ which includes knowledge and wisdom to guide the family in the ways kf God. He has the responsibility to solve the problems the family encounters, calculates where the family is going, and seeks God's guidance to make long term plans for the family. A father is a counselor, career and financial planner, and manager of the family's  resources.

Fathers  provide vision
The father, if truely is the head, becomes the visionary of the family. You are supposed to have a vision for your family: insight, long range goals and a plan for the future. As the visionary, the father anticipates things before they happen and prepares and equips the family to face the future with hope.

Fathers discern
The discerning role of the father as the head relates to caring. A godly father can sense what is coming against his family in the near future. He must be in position to detect and address what is going on with his children. Perhaps his teenager is expriencing some tough changes and tremendous peer pressure. As the head of the house hold, he discerns  the problem and spends time with that child to counsel , support, affirm, and advise. Agodly father also senses when his wife needs affection or time alone and does the needful. Inotherwords a father can detect the "scent" of his family, home,  his business and his neighborhood.

Fathers Listen
You are a father if you can hear for your family. The father should always be listening to God and to his family, for God the Father always listens to us. These days you hear wives and children  complain, "Dad never listens to me". I encourage you to take time to listen  to those under your care for they look up to you to that trait. if you dont have good listening skills, begin to develop them today. Majority of men are too busy to listen to their families, yet listening happens to be one of the gifts fathers can give to their families. . Failure to listen communicates lack of love, and caring . Because God our father  loves us , He always listens and answers us. We fathers need to listen as our heavenly father listens.

Fathers speak the word of God
Being the head, the father is positioned as a mouth piece of a family. He is supposed to speak the word of God in the home. It is through the father that a family hears from God. The position we take as heads, require us to be spiritual heads of our house holds. Your house hold is a fully constituted church and as the father, you have an obliagtion to fully represent Christ. In my home I am the authority of God. My wife wants to hear from God through me first and not only the pastor, prophet, apaotle ,teacher or evangelist in the church. Rise up and take your position as the head of the family.

If fathers can cultivate, these concepts as heads of families, marriages will last, nature descent citizens , build strong families and heal our societies

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY FELLOW FATHERS

The writter is a husband to one wife and a father to two handesome boys; Jotham and Aggrey Jr, a citizen of the kingdom of Heaven working to restore genuine relationships and transforming men into leaders and agents of change.
aggreystyles@gmail.com

Ref: Dr.Munroe , The fatherhood principle, Whitaker house, 2000, 2008.