ENSURE YOU ARE A FATHER THAT’S NURTURING AND ENSURE YOU HAVE A FATHER NURTURING YOU!
“I do not write these things to SHAME you, but to WARN and ADVISE you as my beloved children. 15 For even if you were to have ten thousand TEACHERS [to guide you] in Christ, yet you would not have many FATHERS [who led you to Christ and assumed RESPONSIBILITY for you], for I became your FATHER in Christ Jesus through the good news [of salvation]. 16 So I urge you, be IMITATORS of me [just as a CHILD IMITATES his FATHER]” 1 Corinthians 4:14-16/AMP.
It takes the presence of a NATURING Father and a NURTURING Mother to make a child become in the fulness of life and grace in Christ Jesus stead; and this is irrespective of any known and unknown circumstances.
Where there is no physical Father to NATURE and Mother to NURTURE, there are LOADS of questions to be answered in an individual’s life.
A father or mother may be biological, a guardian, by adoption, and the like — so long as you can experience NATURING and NURTURING, and not just either.
It is very important as a Father that you ENSURE you are a FATHER indeed for the NATURING; and as a child, that you passionately ENSURE you have a FATHER figure in your life for the NATURING in your life and grace — irrespective of any circumstances, under God in Christ Jesus. Amen.
The Father you are to any, or have become to any, to NATURE — by biological, guardian, or adoption — must not MATTER at all, so long as there is no room given to stereotypes, prejudice, sentiments, and dissimulation in the parenting style of being fatherly, with a fatherhood heart of love and fellowship. [hypocrisy]
Let all such indifference — stereotypes, prejudice, sentiments, dissimulation, and the like — be kept at bay and alien to the fatherhood and fathering relationship.
BEING A FATHER and BECOMING A FATHER is worth all of living.
And I sincerely wish you all the enabling grace, wisdom, and speed, in every way, in God’s BLESSEDNESS, in Christ Jesus, as you continue steadfastly in your parenting grace. Amen.
SELAH – PAUSE & THINK!
SCRIPTURAL THOUGHTS WORTH PONDERING IN CONTEXT:
“For this cause I bow my knees unto the FATHER of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 of whom the whole FAMILY in heaven and earth is named” Ephesians 3:14-15
“After this manner therefore PRAY ye: Our FATHER which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name” Matthew 6:9.
“Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. 17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to MY FATHER: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto MY FATHER, and YOUR FATHER; and to my God, and your God” John 20:16-17.
“I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you. 15 For though ye have ten thousand INSTRUCTORS in Christ, yet have ye not many FATHERS: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. 16 Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me” 1 Corinthians 4:14-16.
“And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; 18 seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be BLESSED in him? 19 For I KNOW him, that he will COMMAND his children and his household after him, and they shall KEEP the WAY of the Lord, to DO justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath SPOKEN of him” Genesis 18:17-19.
“Hearken to me, ye that FOLLOW after righteousness, ye that SEEK the Lord: look unto the ROCK whence ye are HEWN, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged. 2 Look unto Abraham your FATHER, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and BLESSED him, and INCREASED him” Isaiah 51:1-2.
“And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto CHILDREN, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 6 for whom the Lord LOVETH he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the FATHER chasteneth not? 8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. 9 Furthermore we have had FATHERS of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the FATHER of spirits, and live? 10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. 11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby” Hebrews 12:5-11.
SUMMARY:
Fatherhood and Motherhood are both essential for a child to grow into the fullness of life and grace in Christ Jesus. NATURING + NURTURING = WHOLENESS.
- THE BIBLICAL PATTERN OF FATHERHOOD
1 Corinthians 4:14-16 — Paul says he became their FATHER in Christ, not just a teacher. A father takes RESPONSIBILITY, warns, advises, and becomes an example to be IMITATED.
Genesis 18:17-19 — God trusted Abraham because he would COMMAND his household to KEEP the WAY of the Lord.
Hebrews 12:5-11 — A true father chastens, corrects, and trains for righteousness. Without fathering, we lack identity and covering.
- NATURING AND NURTURING ARE BOTH NEEDED
It takes a NATURING Father and a NURTURING Mother for a child to become in fullness.
Where there is no physical father or mother, there will be LOADS of unanswered questions in a person’s life.
Father/Mother can be biological, guardian, or by adoption — what matters is that you EXPERIENCE both NATURING and NURTURING, not just one.
- THE HEART OF TRUE FATHERHOOD
Being a father must be free from stereotypes, prejudice, sentiments, and dissimulation.
Fatherhood is about a heart of love and fellowship.
Ephesians 3:14-15 — All family in heaven and earth is named of the FATHER.
Matthew 6:9; John 20:17 — Jesus revealed God as OUR FATHER.
Isaiah 51:1-2 — Look to Abraham your FATHER — he was blessed and increased.
FINAL CHARGE:
ENSURE YOU ARE A FATHER THAT’S NATURING.
ENSURE YOU HAVE A FATHER THAT’S NATURING YOU.
BEING A FATHER and BECOMING A FATHER is worth all of living.
May God’s enabling grace, wisdom, and speed rest upon you in your parenting grace. Amen.
REV. CHUKIE MORSI