Today we read about a father's blessing in Genesis 26:17-27:46, our One Year Bible reading for today. Jacob tricks Abraham into giving him his older brother Esau's blessing. This is a huge deal, and makes Esau furious.
But let's take a step back from that part of the story. Think about a father's blessing. First of all, it requires that the father be PRESENT. Almost all serial killers and mass shooters have one thing in common: they did not have a father present at home. There are very rare exceptions, but the general rule is that mass shooters are fatherless men.
Second, the father must take his relationship with God seriously. This makes such a huge difference in children's lives. Studies show that when the mother alone takes children to church, they tend to drop out of church later. If the mom and dad BOTH take the kids to church, they are over ten times more likely to stay in church as adults. But if only the father (without the mother) takes kids to church, they are even less likely to drop out than if BOTH parents take them to church! So you see what a crucial role dads play in the faith formation of their children.
Third, saying a blessing over your family, your friends, your house, your car, etc... actually accomplish a spiritual reality. When you bless (or curse) someone (or something), you cause a real and effective change in the spiritual realm. So please be generous with your blessings! And keep your curses to yourself. (Cursing is bad for both you and the person you curse.)
So dads! Please step up and be present! Lead your family by taking them to church! And pronounce blessings over them. You probably won't see the results of these actions in this lifetime... but you definitely will in the next.
God, thanks for teaching us the importance of a father's blessing.
1 comment:
Amen
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