Fathers, be Leaders, be Patriots
If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace. ~ Thomas Paine
Yesterday I was playing with my 8 month old daughter and was thinking about the importance of Fathers day. It seems that our country has under-minded the importance and need of strong fathers and family leaders. I am not sure if this is intentional or just due to the nature of our culture and the direction it has emerged over the last 50 years, but it does appear that the importance of Fathers is corroding in this country. I would like to use this post to encourage my fellow fathers to be leaders in their life, not only in their ‘work’ world, but also in their ‘family’ world. Below is what I envision as a strong Father. (not completely exhaustive) You may disagree on some of my points, but that is the nature of blogging, which makes it all that more enjoyable.
Fathers should be Leaders in Love
In order to have a loving home, it is the Father’s responsibility to initiate and teach love within the home. I believe this is done mainly through actions, but can also be done in words and discipline. If Dad’s are loving to their children and especially their wives, this filters down to everyone within the home. I can’t emphasize more, that Dad’s need to take the leadership in the home in this regard. Children are like sponges, and they will know when we’re faking it, and when we are truely loving. If Fathers are not loving, what transpires is frustration and broken spirits with those in the family. A strong family cannot continue to stay strong without love from the top down, it just will not preserve.
Fathers should be Leaders in Family
Many Fathers spend more time at work, the bar, or the lake fishing then spending time with their children and family. This is a sad, unfortunate reality. The effects on the family in this regard are usually not seen until the children are older. The message being sent to the family is that they are the least on the Fathers’ priorities. (even if not true or intentional). Children and the family will many times resent their father in the long run and will never have a meaningful relationship or strong family unit, because of the actions of the father. Fathers must take the lead in building a strong close family, it can’t be just an afterthought or desire, but must require action.
Fathers should be Leaders in Godliness
It seems that many of our moral values have corroded in this country. It is rare to find admiration or praise for people of character within our media or even our lives. Character, once so highly thought of within our country, is now barely mentioned or desired by our youth. Why is this, where have we gone astray? I think it may be due to many fathers own abandonment of such Godly principles in their own lives. Sometimes I wonder what our world will look like if our morals continue to decline over the coming generations. Will it become real life Sodom and Gomorrah? It doesn’t have to be so… Fathers strive to teach your children Godly principles. Support such organizations as the Boy Scouts, Church actives, etc, that support principles of morality and character. Only through instructing our children can we turn this trend around.
Fathers should be Leaders in Liberty
John Adams once wrote that liberty is only one generation away from being removed or forgotten. It is equally important for us conservatives to teach our children the principles of limited government, rule of law, and liberty. If we fail to teach our children the proper role of government, the sacrifices and intentions of our founders, and all those who have died in American wars to preserve our liberty, it will sadly all be in vain if freedom is lost. Only through instructing others, and our famlies in conservative values can conservatism continue and liberty preserved.
Happy Fathers Day Thinking Patriots!
Cheers,
Jason
“As parents, we can have no joy, knowing that this government is not sufficiently lasting to ensure any thing which we may bequeath to posterity: And by a plain method of argument, as we are running the next generation into debt, we ought to do the work of it, otherwise we use them meanly and pitifully. In order to discover the line of our duty rightly, we should take our children in our hand, and fix our station a few years farther into life; that eminence will present a prospect, which a few present fears and prejudices conceal from our sight.”
–Thomas Paine, Common Sense, 1776
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