What if you were fatherless?

What is my heritage from my father? Fatherless to the extent no Father’s day cards are created as a child for a father, no birthday or Christmas gifts made or purchased, no advice about dating, no college or career advice in high school,  and that key male figure God intended to help shape a child into a person that follows after God is not there. The father’s exhortation is highlighted in scripture as a common occurrence. “We were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own child.” (1 Thess. 2:11 NASB) Paul is demonstrating the strength of a father’s love by encouraging, comforting, and urging these people toward godly living.  The fatherless child does have the Christian father option to encourage their spiritual formation. A void that has to be filled from the mother but also Christian men that can mentor the child. The reality is that many men in the church do not see the immediate need to come alongside the fatherless. These men are trying to lead families and ministry in the local church already. I am not upset with these men or the lack of intentionality but desiring that we begin to see a bigger picture beyond our family and ministry. If I can’t be the father my kids need then I don’t need to sacrifice to try and be a father to the fatherless. However, we do have single men that are further along in the journey, empty nesters, and retired men that could be a spiritual mentor father to the fatherless. Everyday we have opportunities to live out James 1:27 and may we begin to open our eyes to the fatherless world we are living.