Fathers have role equally crucial role as moms

I learned something interesting while reading about Father’s Day, celebrated this past Sunday.

While Mother’s Day has always been focused on one’s mother and is, therefore, singular possessive, Father’s Day was originally meant to be a celebration of fatherhood, in general, as most of the world observes it, and was proposed as the plural possessive, Fathers’ Day, but the singular precedent already set by Mother’s Day won out.

In the USA, a Father’s Day holiday was initially rejected because Mother’s Day had become immensely commercialized. Consequently, it took over 60 years for Father’s Day to become recognized as a U.S. holiday, and it may never gain the status of Mother’s Day.

That’s sad because fathers have an equally important role and responsibility as mothers in child-rearing! But it’s also evident that many men, especially in this country, haven’t stepped up to that responsibility, so the mothers get all the credit, which is appropriate. South Korea celebrates Parents’ Day, recognizing equally both parents’ critical role.

The parental co-responsibility is biblical because children were told to obey their parents and both parents were to be involved in child-rearing, including the toughest of disciplinary actions (Ephesians 6:1-4; Deuteronomy 6:3-7; 21:18-21). Keeping in mind that although the mother was the primary child-raiser in those days, the father also was expected to have a significant influence. When both parents are active in child-rearing, their children will most likely become good citizens, maybe even Christians, and have great love for and pride in their parents (Proverbs 22:6; 17:6).

All parents have shortcomings and, while we don’t know how good at parenting most biblical fathers were, compare the cases of Noah and Lot and their children’s outcome.

Noah’s sons picked wives who would follow them as the sons followed their father, going right into the ark despite never having seen rain and in the face of likely considerable ridicule from the community, including all of their relatives, but only those going into the ark were saved (Genesis 6:1-8:18). On the other hand, Lot’s daughters were pledged to marry men who wouldn’t even follow them out of town (Genesis 18:1-33; 19:12-26).

I wonder if the difference in the outcome of their children’s lives wasn’t because Noah followed God while Lot followed his own desires by choosing the better land around the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and staying there despite feeling oppressed by the cities’ sin (Genesis 13:1-13; 2 Peter 2:7-8). We should keep in mind that any set of parents can win some and lose some, as indicated by the disrespect Noah’s youngest son, Ham showed (Genesis 9:18-27). In many cases, external influences are at play in scenarios like that, especially today. However, there’s also something to be said when a set of parents wins all or loses all, especially the latter.

Fathers, are you stepping up to your parental responsibilities to raise godly children who will be a pride to you in this life and the life to come (Proverbs 23:24)?

Leonard Lauriault is a member of the Church of Christ in Logan who writes about faith for the Quay County Sun. Contact him at [email protected]