We hear the term “worship leader” and often think about someone on a platform or behind a pulpit singing and playing an instrument during a church service. But leading in worship was the responsibility given to Adam in Genesis when he was told to obey certain commands and lead his wife and future family in doing so as well.
‘Weight of fathering’
I want to reclaim that term and apply it to the home. Not just for your sake, but for mine. I’m a husband to Alicia and father of Jace, Ellie Bre and Abigail. And we would like to add to that number.
The older my children become, the more I’m aware of the weight of fathering. This isn’t a simple task of “make enough money to pay the bills and feed the family.” There is an entire spiritual component that is necessary for me to fulfill as a father. I am called to lead my precious gifts by living a life of worship in front of them.
When you are teaching a young child to carefully walk through the woods the first time, you don’t just point out a path and let them have at it. What do we do? We walk in front of them, pausing to point out dangers and showing them where to place their feet carefully behind us. All the while, we are also walking in front of them making sure to spot anything dangerous before we even get close.
Life is exactly the same. And it’s not just for finances, relationships and hard work that we do this with them. It needs to be for the spiritual world in all of these areas of life as well. We don’t need to spend wisely just to have a nice retirement. We need to spend wisely for the glory of the Lord and the support of His kingdom from a cheerful heart.
We don’t just need to treat others well and find a good spouse. We need to love others as Christ has loved us and seek to honor the Lord in a godly marriage. And we don’t just work hard because it’s the best way to work. We do everything from the big to the small for the glory of the Lord as unto the Lord.
In the life lessons that the world seeks to teach our children through media, schools and culture at large, there are deeper realities centered on Christ that must be taught. I need help to teach those things.
Men are known for refusing to ask for help. We got this! But we really don’t. We need God and godly men of sound faith in our lives building us up and holding us accountable for obedience and the training of our children.
We need to pray for our children and ask God for wisdom, thanking Him that He will give it to those who ask for it in faith. We need to involve other faithful families in our lives to show our kids that community centered on Christ is necessary for faithful life.
And we need to be willing to be vulnerable, sharing the mistakes of our past or asking our own children for forgiveness when we sin against them or their mothers to highlight the place of grace and redemption we have in Christ.
God is present
God will not forsake us. He has promised to be present through his Spirit and see us as abiding in Christ’s righteousness. And it’s from this place that we stand firm as fathers, leading the way to live lives of worship for our families. And this type of fatherly leading will change nations for generations.
EDITOR’S NOTE — James Hammack is TAB Media’s digital services manager. He and his wife, Alicia, have a son, Jace, and daughters, Ellie Bre and Abigail. They live in Prattville and are members of Sovereign Grace Church, Millbrook.
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