Question: Is it just me, or does it seem that dads are often portrayed negatively by today’s media?
Answer: I agree. Too many of the father characters we see in the media come across as either incompetent, uncaring, or buffoons. By contrast, you rarely see the mothers presented this way. Even the children can come across as having more sense than their dads. For example, have you seen the commercial in which the mom walks into the house to find her husband dipping their son’s feet in paste to make socks? Some of the paste is still dripping from the socks. Obviously, the child looks very weighted down and uncomfortable. The dad tries to explain that he is trying to make socks that have a better fit. Of course, the mom looks at him like he is crazy. See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTpG37OvjFs If the roles were reversed in these scenarios and the dads were looking at the moms like they were incompetent idiots, the feminist groups would be protesting in outrage against such degrading images. Josh Levs of CNN wrote a good article about this media dad-trashing trend. Read his “No more dumb dad: Changing the bumbling father stereotype” at http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/12/living/dumb-dad-stereotype.
Additionally, I don’t think this incompetent father trend helps in these days of increasingly troubled families. My hope is that the father images become more positive or at least, balanced out. People are, indeed, influenced by what they see on TV, so it does matter what is shown. We need to do all we can to strengthen our families. We need to start by promoting good, strong Christian fathers!
Below is a timely repeat of my Father’s Day blog from last June.
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Question: The world says that fathers aren’t really important to a family. What does the Bible say?
Answer: God’s Word makes it clear that fathers are very important to the family. In fact, the father in the family serves as a symbol of our Heavenly Father, God. We find an example of this in Matthew 7:9-11, “Or what man …if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone… If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” (NKJV) God teaches this lesson about how He provides for us by using the example of how the father in the family will provide for his children.
Additionally, Jesus reminds us of the importance we are to place on both parents in Matthew 15:4, “For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother…'” (NKJV) In the book of Proverbs, we find the father in the family often being the one who is teaching his children how they are to live a godly life. For example, in Proverbs 4:1, 11, it says, “Hear, my children, the instruction of a father… I have taught you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in right paths.” (NKJV) Here, the Bible tells us that God expects fathers to teach their children how to live godly lives.
However, it’s important to note that for a father to do all of this teaching, he must first be an active presence in his children’s lives. Above all, the father must be a godly man, himself, in order to set this example for his household. Sadly, too many fathers have abandoned the role God intended for them to have in the family. Today, there are far too many children being born out-of-wedlock. Too many fathers are not providing the spiritual support or financial support their children really need. Too many are making babies with women who they are not willing to marry.
On the other hand, there are also too many fathers who, while married to their children’s mother, are present in body only. They live in the same house as their kids, but they are not active in their care. They don’t take the time to really talk to their children, teach their children, or take them to church. They leave all of this care to the mothers. As a result, we have an ever-increasing amount of children seeking father figures through gangs, young girls becoming sexually active to seek “love,” and more young people going to prison.
God did not intend for mothers to raise children alone – even though many women have successfully done this. God wants children to be raised in a stable home with their father married to their mother. Most importantly, He wants the whole family to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, and live their lives to please God!
We need more of these good fathers. Personally, I thank God that my husband is that kind of very good father to our two children!
Helpful Links:
Focus on the Family www.focusonthefamily.com
Crown Financial Ministries www.crown.org
The Christian Broadcasting Network www.cbn.com
World Magazine www.worldmag.com
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