A godly father is a man who seeks to follow all that God has outlined in His word. While every Christian is to seek to be godly, certain commands are given to fathers. God is our example in holy living and a pattern for each of us to follow.
First, God is the head of all things. He is the authority for all mankind. The godly father is also given the responsibility of being the head of the home. In Ephesians 5:22-25 we are given the relationship between the husband and the wife. The husband is to take the leadership role in the home. It does not mean he is a tyrant or demanding unreasonable things. Because he loves his wife as Christ loves the church. His decisions are governed by love. This does not mean he gives in to the wants of the children. It is his love that does what is best for them, not what is comfortable for him. Many fathers yield to the begging or tantrums of their children because they are too lazy or cowardly to take a godly stand. They want comfort rather than godliness. The family needs to understand that He is the final authority given by God in the home. However, if he is not a Christian and demands ungodly things, the family is to obey God first.
Ephesians 5:22-25 “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church, and he is the savior of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it.”
Second, He is to set an example of sacrificial giving of himself. God set this example by giving His Son for our sins. Though it was painful, the father sacrificed to gain what was best for us. A godly father is always thinking of what is best for his family, not what is pleasing to him.
Romans 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
Third, the godly father is vulnerable. He doesn’t try to cover his sins or his weaknesses. He teaches his children that we are all weak on our own, and he teaches them where we gain our strength and how to battle our sins. He teaches them that God is enough to help them through all life’s difficulties. In II Corinthians 12:9-10 Jesus answers Paul’s prayer for his infirmity to be removed. “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Fourth, a godly father is determined by God’s grace to lead his children to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. He does not leave this responsibility to the church, mom, or anyone else. He leads by example and then teaches his children. From the day of their conception to the day he or his children die, his chief concern is that his children know God. He disciplines according to God’s word, and he studies and teaches his children in private lessons and family devotions. He makes sure his children know that if they are not right with God, nothing else matters. His goal is not to make them happy but holy.
This godly father is a man of integrity. He is respected by others and is the right kind of example to his children. They, in turn, will reverence him and honor him. They will love him and be grateful for a dad who loves and obeys God. Being a godly dad will not always be easy. Your children will challenge you and disappoint you from time to time. They have a sinful nature, and sometimes it wins, but even when they stray or have a disobedient spirit, they know they have a dad whom they can trust. Being a godly dad can be difficult, but it is one of the most rewarding jobs you will ever have.
Be a godly dad. Study to find out what God says about your position. Love and live with Jesus as your example. Don’t allow fear to push you to compromise and do things the world’s way. Stay the course, and one day, you can say, as proclaimed in III John 1:4, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.”
