I count myself as very lucky, I had a dad who was, and is, a great role model of what it means to be a man but also a dad. My brothers and I grew up in a house with two parents that loved us and taught us the difference between right and wrong and also taught us about faith, faith in God and faith in family. Not every kid in America is that lucky.
More and more kids today are growing up without fathers. Ultimately, the traditional family is the way to go. One mom and one dad living under the same roof. But that is not always possible but the role of the dad is still extremely important not only for sons but for daughters. Any guy can be a father, but it takes a man of courage and integrity to be father. Whether he is married to his children’s mother or not, he can still be a dad. There are some great single moms out there doing the job, but they should not have to do it alone! Guys, you need to step up and be the man in the family.
I recently watched the movie Courageous. I did not really know much about this movie before I started watching it. I saw it on Netflix, and after reading the very brief description, I thought I would give it a whirl. I was pleasantly surprised.
The movie follows four police officers and their families. After a tragic event in the life of one of the families the men get together and decide that they need to be better dads. The talk about their fathers and the role they played in their lives. They also talk about all of the young men, black and white, who they arrest and send to jail every day. And, they talk about God and the role of faith in the family. The best part for me was they talked about how the man is the spiritual head of the family and how God will hold them accountable for the way they raise their children. It mirrors the relationship of the priest to his congregation and how the priest will be held accountable, to God, for what they did and did not do.
Without giving away the rest of the movie, the guys decided, rather they resolve, to be better dads and they do it in a very public way. The four men sign a resolution and posted in their houses. They knew there would be trials, and there certainly was for a few of them, but in the end integrity and courage is what made it work. That’s what we need, that’s what I was taught, and that is what we need to teach our children, courage and integrity.
I have printed below the resolution that the men signed. Read it, and if you feel compelled, print it and sign it witnessed by your family. America needs men of courage and integrity, your children need men of courage and integrity and your children need men of courage and integrity.
THE RESOLUTION
I DO solemnly resolve before God to take full responsibility for myself, my wife, and my children.
I WILL love them, protect them, serve them, and teach them the Word of God as the spiritual leader of my home.
I WILL be faithful to my wife, to love and honor her, and be willing to lay down my life for her as Jesus Christ did for me.
I WILL bless my children and teach them to love God with all of their hearts, all of their minds, and all of their strength.
I WILL train them to honor authority and live responsibly.
I WILL confront evil, pursue justice, and love mercy.
I WILL pray for others and treat them with kindness, respect, and compassion.
I WILL work diligently to provide for the needs of my family.
I WILL forgive those who have wronged me and reconcile with those I have wronged.
I WILL learn from my mistakes, repent of my sins, and walk with integrity as a man answerable to God.
I WILL seek to honor God, be faithful to His church, obey His Word, and do His will.
I WILL courageously work with the strength God provides to fulfill this resolution for the rest of my life and for His glory.
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. —Joshua 24:15
Christ is risen!
Father, this Resolution calls on men to “man up,” but I never see anything requiring women to “man down.”
They can take jobs from men, take educational slots from men, get child support from men.
When women decide men are too conservative, don’t pay enough taxes, don’t treat them deferentially enough, don’t hire them enough, etc., they can get the government to pass laws which give them what they think they deserve from men.
They can even get the government to import more men, who take jobs, educational opportunity, affordable housing and tax dollars from the men who are supposed to be doing all these wonderful things for their own families.
Dad, a/k/a the human ATM machine, gets held to every jot and tittle of this onerous pledge and the wife and children can scream “abuse!” or “neglect!” or “my needs aren’t getting met!” and sever the relationship at any point while still holding the husband/father to his obligations.
All of the above is a sure bet for alcoholism and breakdown by men.
Until women start bringing something to the table, young men are better advised to avoid courtship and marriage and focus on their own life in the Church, acquiring and marketing their skillset, building a patronage network, and getting some physically and mentally challenging hobbies.
Well that is an opinion, not a Christian one, but it is an opinion.