Dr. Lawrence Butler, The Bridge Church, Pembroke

In the beginning God established the family, putting a man and a woman as founders and leaders. “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them” (Genesis 1:27).

This is the foundational structure of the family, chosen and blessed by God. In addition, man was told to, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it” (Genesis 1:28). In other words, they were to have children and make the earth serve them. They would do this by working and producing the things they needed, like food. Think of the important lessons here. Man needed to be occupied, children needed to learn to work, and together they could subdue the earth. The family is critical in teaching children how to live and survive, how to assume responsibility while not abusing themselves nor the earth. The leader of this process was to be the father. Are you present, father? Are you fulfilling your role?

There is no substitute for parents in the home. I am sure others have often done their best to assist and provide care, but nothing works like the home established by God. Studies show that absentee fathers set the stage for their children to ruin their lives by making bad decisions. Our culture seems to mock God’s arrangement of the family, but take a look at the results of fatherless homes. One study focused on social issues revealed that over a ten year period families with no father were more likely to live in poverty by a 400% rate. Behavioral problems increased by some 600% with both emotional and mental health problems. I feel it is probably safe to say that many of the “mental health” issues in our country are a direct result of the breakdown of the home. Isn’t it time we admitted to ourselves we are causing much of this by not following God’s loving plan for our families? Fight for your family, your children, by going to church and teaching them about God.