Gospelized Fatherhood: Delivering Fathers from Harsh Legalism

Jul 10, 2011 By: Pastor Joseph LoSardo Series: Ephesians VII Scripture: Ephesians 6:4
Over the past half-century, society has witnessed more and more young people emerging from childhood without having grown up. Immaturity, irresponsibility, sexual promiscuity and indiscretion, along with indifference toward God and hatred of parents, have increasingly become the norm. Psychologists who deal with troubled youth have long noted a common trait among them – that of a poor relationship with their fathers. God commissions parents, and in particular fathers, with the responsibility to teach their children. But we see alarmingly few fathers with the resolve to be strong and loving moral examples to their children in order to raise godly responsible offspring. Relationships between fathers and children are far too often minimalistic and punctuated by anger. Fathers take precious little time to engage their children. In Ephesians 6:4 the Holy Spirit, through Paul, is seeking to temper a father’s tendency to be harsh in his discipline and demeanor to his children.