Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. —James 1:17 (NIV)
Every good gift AND every perfect gift is from above… Did you catch that?
Back in Genesis 1:26-27, when God made mankind, he blessed both male and female and gave them their directives, one of which was to become fathers and mothers. By the end of the first chapter of Genesis, we learn that God looked on everything he had made and declared it was good.
God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day. —Genesis 1:31 (NIV)
After all of that, when He was finished creating everything, God rested on the seventh day. God didn’t go back and recreate anything in his creation. Everything was good, including fathers. Many of us can easily agree that godly parents are a gift from God, especially when they fulfill their roles exactly as God designed. But notice that scripture makes a distinction between perfect and good. We cannot expect anybody to be perfect, because no man is perfect. Yet, a father, even in his imperfect state, is a gift from God.
God designed the family from the days of creation! He was intentional in creating a deep need in children for both their mother and father. Psychologists understand that fathers are as significant as mothers in the development of healthy children from start to finish. Accordingly, an article in Psychology Today specifically stated a father’s input into the lives of their children is “a complex and unique phenomenon with huge consequences“. A phenomenon…a remarkably inexplicable occurrence that no child should do without! Yes, fathers are a phenomenal gift from God!
Biologically, fathers are irreplaceable. In every other way, they remain vital. Fathers love differently. Fathers guide differently. Fathers discipline differently. Fathers participate differently. Even the most inadequate father is still a gift. And when he is a godly father, the benefits to his children are great!
For the godly father, God promises that his grace is sufficient! God’s power is made perfect in weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9) The godly father can rely on God every moment of the day to help him be what his children need. In light of everything going on in the world, the time is now for fathers to be the heads of their households, the covering for their wives, and the gift their children deeply need. Be encouraged, all men who are fathers and those with the blessing of fatherhood to come. Yours is truly a vital role. I thank God every time I remember the phenomenal gift of fathers! (Philippians 1:3)
