FATHERS & KNOWLEDGE (PT. 7)

I remind you that one definition of the word knowledge is “the fact or condition of knowing something with familiarity gained through experience or association.” This definition refers specifically to men—more importantly, fathers. Human relationships are not only special, but also spiritual. Fathers and mothers have the opportunity to impart to sons and daughters the unique reality that they will soon have to embrace. In every boy is a man. In every woman is a mother. In every father is a family. God’s plan from the beginning was that boys would learn about manhood from fathers. In similar fashion, girls would embrace womanhood as a result of being nurtured by their mothers. Knowledge is precious and was never meant to be learned by individual experience. Rather, fathers and mothers have the responsibility to share their knowledge with their children so that they are prepared for the responsibility that comes with parenting.

According to Dennis Thompson, in an article in HealthDay News (July 22, 2019), she shares “Most parents think they are doing enough to prepare their teens for adulthood, but they’re wincing a bit as the time comes for their young to leave the nest.” The sad reality is that parents work hard at preparing their children for adulthood, but their attempts are often void of impartation. An old adage says “somethings must be caught, not taught.” This is absolutely necessary when it comes to men.

“When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.” (1 Cor. 13:11)

The reality in today’s culture is that we have grown children who have not learned how to think or reason as adults. Many of today’s young adults are comfortable remaining children. However, adulthood is not achieved simply because one reaches a certain age. Even before one arrives at adulthood, they should be familiar with it before they are expected to perform it.

Again, the point being made is that somethings must be caught as well as taught. We cannot expect boys to be men without a genuine example of manhood. According to “lawinsider.com absent, an absent parent refers to a noncustodial parent, or a parent who is not living with the member (in this case, the child). The absence of fathers in the home is at epidemic percentages in today’s culture. This simply implies that a larger number of boys and girls are growing up without the impartation or the influence of a father in the home. God created the first man, Adam, and gave him the responsibility to impart His thoughts and ways to his family. God’s heart was that His truth would be imparted from one generation to the next one. God shared His will with Adam. Adam was expected to teach God’s truth to his family. Whenever God’s plan is accomplished, then truth is passed on from one generation to the next. Truth is important as well as necessary. However, even truth has a source. More importantly, genuine truth always represents the original source of it. Wherever there is a failure to impart the original truth, those who are not the source of it will attempt to define it.  

This is not only the reason why fathers must have knowledge; they must also know the truth. A father’s failure to impart truth to his son will negatively impact the generations following him. More importantly, when fathers fail to be examples of God’s truth, succeeding generations will also fail to impart God’s truth to their children.