As we enter spring, a time of renewal, I thought it would be a good time to look at a topic that doesn’t get enough attention these days: fatherhood.It seems like we live in a world where the social climate lately is often anti-male which, unfortunately, spills over into the topic of fatherhood. Just look at almost any television show or movie made in the last ten years that features a family. The father is almost always represented as the dumb, irresponsible character.I have nothing but respect for all of the single mothers out there who have managed to put a life together with their children. However, I do think it is horrible when a man walks away from his obligations of being a provider for his child; however, I think it’s time to carefully examine what fatherhood means, what it looks like these days, and what we need to do to change the stereotype.It’s time for fatherhood to get the respect it deserves, but it’s also time for men to step up and be the fathers God wants them to be.Over the next four weeks, you can expect to read blogs on the following topics.The Statistics: While I want to build up fatherhood with this series of blogs, there are a lot of statistics that are downright discouraging when it comes to it. According to a 2018 Pew Report based on US Census data, the percentage of children living with an unmarried single parent has jumped from 13% in 1968 to 32% in 2017. If that trend continues, by 2040, half the children in America might be from a single-parent home. Also, of that 32%, only 4% are represented by single fathers taking care of their children. We’ll examine more numbers like these in this blog.
Exemplary Fathers: Sometimes the best way to learn is by example, and I feel like the most important person who taught me how to be a father was my own dad. He was one of the hardest workers that I’ve ever seen who made sure his children didn’t go without. I’ll share a couple of stories about him, along with taking a look at what makes a father exemplary.The
Ultimate Father’s Sacrifice: If there were ever one father who made the ultimate sacrifice, it was God when he sent his only son, Jesus, to this earth. Allowing your son to die for the sins of all the people is a pretty heavy sacrifice and not one we’d expect men to make these days. However, it’s important for men to recognize that being a father does often mean sacrifice and to understand that it’s one of the key parts of fatherhood.
Surrogate Fathers: For those men who haven’t met the right woman yet, or who might be unable to have children, it’s important to recognize they can play a huge role in children's lives by being a positive male role model, especially to children who come from single-parent homes. I’ll talk a little bit about mentoring, and we’ll wrap up this series with a quick overview in the final blog. I think you’ll enjoy this series and, hopefully, we can do some good by shining a positive light on fatherhood.