Never abandon your children
A man may abandon his children, claiming that the child’s mom debars him from any interaction with the child. Others slip away from home to “teach her a lesson” claiming that the child’s mom was not deserving of his presence in her life. Others argue: “The home condition was not conducive to meeting my needs, so I escaped with the hope of finding greener pastures elsewhere”.
To the typical man that abandons his child it may seem a cavalier or inconsequential matter, but the hurt you cause the child is almost as devastating as death, for indeed, something dies within the heart of the child.
THE FATHERLESS WOUND
More people are suffering from what can be referred to as “a fatherless wound”, even in their old age than we can possibly imagine. The pain inflicted when dad is absent from the home leaves a void in the heart that is difficult to fill. They sleep and wake, musing about the fun time that they missed with dad. They see other children with their dad and wonder why they have been dealt such a terrible blow.
CONSEQUENCES OF THE ABSENT DAD
Statistically, a girl who is reared without a dad is more likely to encounter severe pitfalls like teenage pregnancy, have serious behavioral problems, fail academically, and have a high probability of having dysfunctional relationships herself.
A boy, from whose presence the father was ripped, is sometimes left meandering recklessly through life without a man to teach him how to become a man. He is deprived of his most important role model and his heart aches as he waits longingly for his emotional fortress to guide, validate, and encourage him as he navigates the difficult vicissitudes of life. How he waits, but in vain.
He surrenders to the gang as he yearns for validation. He turns to drugs in his bid to escape the troubling thoughts of an emotionally deprived soul. He became a womanizer, having his fling with multiple women for nobody taught him discipline and self-control.
He has become a ship without an anchor, a villain without mercy and a well-oiled weapon in the hands of the arch enemy of souls. Visit the prisons, conduct a survey and you will discover that the overwhelming majority of the men came from fatherless homes, or homes where his supportive presence was never felt.
IT'S NOT THAT SIMPLE
Men. It’s not as simple as it appears. You cannot abandon your children and not be harassed with the thought that you help to plunge the world in chaos and anarchy. You are committing an ultimate evil and God’s wild and passionate anger is kindled.
The God of structure and order has left us a divine design. He knows that a child needs to be reared with a mother and father, and when that family structure is ruptured, lives are left mauled and broken on the corridors of time.
God is emphatic here: “Father’s, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up…” The divine Father knows that they cannot bring up themselves, so you fathers, “Bring them up” (Ephesians 6:4).
WHAT TO DO NEXT
Where are your children today? It’s time you begin the search to “rescue the perishing and care for the dying”. It’s time you heal the broken hearted and bind up the wound of some fatherless and way-worn son or daughter.
Utilize the convenience of social media. Summon divine assistance as you embark on the long-neglected, yet important journey of reclaiming the child of your loins. For years they looked for you. Through pain and suffering they waited for your comforting smile. Through sleepless nights they dreamed of your warm embrace and to hear, whispered in their ears the soothing words, “I love you son, I love you daughter, you are and will always be daddy’s precious gem”.
Further reading:
Ephesians 6:4: “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger; but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” . Parents also have obligations to their children. Paul’s word to parents is do not exasperate your children. Exasperate is from erethizo and means to stir-up, provoke, irritate, or exasperate.
Don't stir up their already sinful nature, which can lead to wrath. You can irritate them through neglect.