Marvin Moseley: Is the Father Important in a Child’s Life?

This is the title of an article by Dr. Boyce Watkins of Syracuse University that was published on July 31, 2011 on the Your Black World website (www.yourblackworld.com). After reading the article I reflected on the many brothers I have met along the way who seemed to suffer from varying degrees of “confusion”. This topic is certainly worthy of discussion and this is my contribution (my 5 cent opinion). I pray that it will be edifying for all who read it.

A “bible” Christian reads and studies the world’s all-time best seller, the word of the Lord God of Israel (Psalms 106:48 KJV), THE HOLY BIBLE. A bible Christian sheds labels of interpretative doctrine (i.e. Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran etc.) and reads the book for him/herself and prays to our creator for understanding and wise counsel. (Proverbs 1: 1- 5 KJV) Someone once said that if you take what’s contained in books and put it with God’s word you will have a complete education. My father once said “The greatest choice a man can make is to seek The Kingdom of God”.

The subliminal substance of the article, to me, is to question the value of the man. This response is my effort to be on the solution side of a serious problem that plagues us. Many brothers walk the streets looking confused, disheartened, and disillusioned. I suspect that what I see is related to the emotional and/or physical absence of fathers. I once heard that A child without his father is like a house without a roof.” Vivid isn’t it? Please resist knee jerk reactions and think!!!

Maybe God’s word can help us answer this question. “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he”. (Proverbs 29:18 KJV). God told man what to do and what not to do (Genesis 2: 15- 17 KJV). The woman was not made yet. (Genesis 2: 18-23 KJV). Once she was made they became “one flesh” (Genesis 2: 24 KJV), (Ephesians 5: 31 KJV). God set up a covenant here. Note that she was made to be a help meet (helper) for him. In Genesis Chapter 3 you see the woman, not happy with her circumstances, violate God’s prohibition against “talking” to the serpent and/or listening to anything he had to say. “I create the fruit of the lips; …” (Isaiah 57:19 KJV), “…ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way …” (Hosea 10: 13 KJV), ”By him, therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.” (Hebrews 13: 15 KJV). God, at times, refers to men as trees and refers to what they produce (actions and/or words) as “fruit”. (Matthew 7: 15- 20 KJV). So, the fruit was not literal fruit that grows on a tree but listening (eating) to what the serpent had to say(his fruit) was the crime.

God punished and corrected the woman by putting her under the man’s rule. However, he held the man ultimately responsible for the crime. (Genesis 3: 6- 13, 16- 19 KJV). His job wasn’t to be a tyrant, but he was to direct her, lead her, and protect her and their children. God praised a man he called his “friend” (Isaiah 41:8 KJV) (James 2:23 KJV) who conducted his house in this way (Genesis 18: 17- 19 KJV). The woman was to submit to his rule. (Ephesians 5: 22- 29 KJV). The man was to teach his children. “And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4 KJV) “Fathers provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged” (Colossians 3: 21 KJV). They were to work together. (1 Peter 3: 1-6, 7 ” Likewise ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.” KJV). Why? God made them “one” to work together to produce Godly children with the man leading the way. “And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a Godly seed…” (Malachi 2: 15 KJV). The purpose of this relationship God created was to produce a Godly generation so that their prayers would not be hindered. God’s word is here to guide us in all things. “…the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth:…” (John 16: 13 KJV). If we disregard his word, then our prayers will be hindered. “ He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.” (Proverbs 28:9 KJV) Without God’s word guiding us, we can’t possibly hope to rear Godly children. “Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.” (Psalms 127:3 KJV)

Can a woman literally raise a boy (feed, clothe, house) to be an adult man? Absolutely!!! Can a woman raise a boy to be a man who obeys the voice of God? No. A man has to do this. “Iron sharpeneth iron…” (Proverbs 27: 17) Sisters who think they can? “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3: 5- 6 KJV) “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55: 8-9 KJV). We are living in tough times. Our families are disintegrating in the absence of spiritual man leadership. “ Brothers, Wake up!!! God will not hold us blameless!!! “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou has rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee…… seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.” (Hosea 4: 6 KJV).

“BLESSED BE GOD, EVEN THE FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, THE FATHER OF MERCIES, AND THE GOD OF ALL COMFORT;” (2 Corinthians1:3 KJV) PEACE, IN JESUS’ NAME, AMEN! Marvis Moseley, Jr (Gideon)

August 5, 2011.