WE HAVE NOT MANY FATHERS

In the fourth chapter of 1 Corinthians, Paul makes two statements that are worth our consideration. First, he writes the following in verse two:

“Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.”

Then in verse fifteen, we read:

“Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.”

Every man needs to meditate on these two verses. Paul implies several things by these comments. First, he speaks to accountability. He states that anyone who has received a trust must be faithful. Paul declares with intentionality that responsibility is required. When it comes to fatherhood, there is no greater responsibility than a man can have.

Jesus provides us with insight when He refers to our heavenly Father while teaching about prayer. Matt. 6:9-10 states: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Jesus is testifying of His relationship with His Father, who is in heaven. Also, He communicates the will of the Father that the men and women would experience the kingdom of heaven on earth. The point we want to focus on is that God is not only His Father but ours as well. In other words, God is father to every man, woman, boy, and girl. Every human being has a father. God is the Father of all creation. Our heavenly Father is the example of fatherhood. The Bible testifies that God created everything that exists. He is the source of every created thing. As a father, God is responsible for taking care of everything and every person living on the face of the earth. 

God is the only original example of what it means to be a father. Jesus understood this best. He knew what heaven was like because He knew the Father of heaven. Jesus understood the calling upon His life while on the earth. First, He must follow the example of fatherhood that was in heaven. If men were to realize the reality of a Heavenly Father, it would require an example of what fatherhood looked like in heaven. Humanity had not grasped the true meaning of fatherhood because they had never before had a heavenly example of it. Unfortunately, this remains the challenge with manhood today. Men can only become an example of what they have seen. It is the men in the lives of boys that will determine the kind of men they will become. Men and women cannot overlook or underestimate the power of influence.

Paul continues his teaching by emphasizing the difference between guardians and fathers. In short, a guardian is a custodian. A guardian has to care for the individual or property of another. The guardian takes care of someone else’s child or property. In contrast, a father is responsible for his offspring. The distinction is evident, but the challenge is real. Paul reminds us that we need fathers. Too many children in the world today have grown up without knowing their fathers.

In the same way, there can be no substitute for a mother’s love; there can be no substitute for a father’s touch. God loves us unconditionally. This kind of love is obviously missing in the experiences of so many children today. I encourage you to pray that God will restore to men the heart of a father. Boys need examples if they are to become men. However, men need to be touched by the heart of a father if they are to experience the spirit of what fatherhood is all about. Pray that boys will grow up with the revelation that the children in their lives are their own. They will always be their own. They were never meant to grow up not knowing the love of their own father.