Pastoral Letters

Parents’ Day – Part 2 (Father’s Day)

June 11, 2017 Author:Elder Teo Chin Tian
We will be celebrating Father’s Day in a week’s time.  We thank God for the father who tirelessly and laboriously works in order to provide for his family, protects and shields them from harm and danger.  We remember the father who chauffeurs his children to and from classes.  He even reaches out to those in need, and is kind and patient.  We thank God for the father who gives sacrificially to ensure taht his child’s needs are met, be they physical, emotional, or spiritual needs.

To all the fathers – Happy Father’s Day!

God has placed a heavy responsibility in the father, to bring up his children in godly fear. Paul exhorts fathers to bring up the children in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:4)

The father is not to frustrate his children.  Do not put unreasonable demands on your child.

Do not place unnecessary burdens on your child with unreasonable demands or expectations.

Instead, the father is exhorted to train and instruct his child to obey the commands and statutes that God requires of his child:

Start children off on the way they should go and even when they are old they will not turn from it. (Proverbs 22:6)

Fathers, teach your child what God demands and expects of His child.  Share the gospel with your child at an early age so that he may come to a saving knowledge of our Almighty God.  Discipline your child when he disobeys or does things which are wrong:

Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them. (Proverbs 13:24)

We are reminded of the godly father who had wayward children.  Examples are Eli and Aaron.  Eli’s sons did terrible things which were wrong in God’s sight.  Eli knew the evil that his sons did. He failed, however, to chastise or discipline his children.  In the end, God had to take away his two sons:

For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God and he failed to restrain them.  Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, the guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering. (1 Sam 3:12-14)

Let us take heed lest our children grow wayward.  To you who are fathers, may you take on this role as a trainer and instructor of God’s Word to teach His word seriously and raise up good and God-fearing Christians.