In light of another Father’s Day, marked yesterday, I believe it is necessary to share some lessons on Fatherhood, so that we don’t miss the essence of marking such a day.
Fathers are very important in any society. Their presence or absence in a society determines the quality and longevity of such society.
True fathers are builders. They mould characters, form destinies, build people and affect generations. As a father, if you are acting irresponsibly, just be sure that some destinies around you, whether connected to you or not might follow your footsteps, creating more chaos in an already chaotic society. So live responsibly. Dress responsibly. Speak responsibly. Manage your habitat responsibly. Lead responsibly. I saw a cartoon of a five year old boy asking a grown man to pull up his pants (deliberately sagged). The true Father in this case is the little boy.
True fathers are mentors. They deliberately cultivate and nurture others to their full potentials. It was Winston Churchill who said “We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.” Your life is not measured by how much you have, but how many lives you have touched. Stop the vanities.
True fathers leave inheritance for their children and grand children. We live in an age where parents become burden on their children once they complete their education. Yes, you should eat the fruits of your labour, but don’t eat the fruits with the tree! You can leave either material wealth or good name for your children and wards. Don’t leave debts and bad legacy for them.
True Fathers sacrifice a lot to see their children, wards and mentees achieve their dreams. The ‘Father of all’ sacrificed His begotten Son, so that He might have many more sons. Sacrifice for your children now so as not to become the sacrifice later.
True Fathers bless. Always pronounce blessings on your children and wards. Stop the curses and negative confessions. Speak life into their lives through early morning blessings and words of encouragement.
True fathers corrects in love. Don’t withhold the stick when it should be applied, but use it with love. When you have to punish, let them know the reason for the punishment and the expected result from such punishment.
True fathers listen. No one knows it all except God. Be willing to listen to others and hear their views. Even God said let us reason together, how can you be the all-knowing?
True fathers take responsibility for their actions. Don’t bear a child you cannot raise. Don’t have sex if you are not ready to be a father. Don’t be a seed dispenser, be a life nurturer.
As we relish the memory of the just concluded Father’s Day Celebration, let us begin to weigh ourselves on the scale of True Fatherhood. The better we are as Fathers, the better our world would be.
Have a great week ahead.
Adewumi Oni
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