We are all too aware of the disheartening statistics about fatherlessness here in the U.S. According to the Census Bureau, more than 1 in 4 children live without a father in the home. The National Fatherhood Initiative has studied the impact of that absence and discovered that it’s a primary factor in nearly all of the societal ills facing our nation. Children without fathers are:
4X greater risk of poverty
7X more likely to become pregnant as a teen
2X greater risk of infant mortality
2X more likely to suffer obesity
2X more likely to drop out of high school
More likely to have behavioral problems
More likely to face abuse and neglect
More likely to abuse drugs and alcohol
More likely to commit crime
More likely to go to prison
Being a father is more than biologically producing offspring. Being a father means giving time, resources and influence to those God has placed under your leadership. Showing up counts. It doesn’t just prevent the social ills that seem to plague our culture today, but it provides hope for a brighter future – not only for those children but for entire communities.
God has chosen you so that you will command your children and your household to keep the way of the Lord. For you, too, this is the path by which God will bless you and your descendants. This is the means by which God will give them the covenant blessings of life in this world, and then eternally. So let’s celebrate our fathers this Father’s Day, shining a light on the difference a father makes.