byWhat comes to mind when you think about the father-child relationship? Many people complain of the absence of their fathers in their lives. As a matter of fact, Mother’s Day has always been popular and more celebrated than Father’s Day. But I’m not here to advocate for the mothers. I’m here to tell you, dear father, don’t give up on your children. We will look more closely at Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32 and pick some lessons from it.
A summary of the Parable of the Prodigal Son
Whenever the parable of the prodigal son is mentioned, many people turn their attention to the prodigal son. Some talk about the other brother, but only a few people talk about the dad. Even though Jesus used this parable to teach about how God never gives up on His children, including those who intentionally go wayward, I believe it has more to teach us.
In that story, Jesus said that the father was a very wealthy man with many possessions and servants. The mother of the children is never mentioned in the parable. So, let’s assume that the role of the mother wasn’t that necessary in the parable. My question is, how come those boys grew up with one suddenly demanding his share of the father’s inheritance? Kids don’t just do certain things. They are usually influenced to do them, sometimes by friends or by demonic manipulations. I think the prodigal son was influenced to demand his inheritance.
Even though the child asked for his share of the inheritance, the Bible says the father shared the inheritance between his two sons, not one of them (see Luke 15:12). So, both the younger and older sons got theirs. However, the younger one decided to set off for a distant country. He thought he had wealth, so he could do whatever he liked. The dad, although he didn’t like his son’s decision, allowed him to go. Well, you may ask, was the dad despondent to see his son off? I say yes because it shows in his speech when that boy returned home. He said,
“for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.”
Luke 15:24 (NKJV)
Think about that. He was obviously happy to see his wayward son back home after he had squandered his wealth. That scene is a picture of how God doesn’t give up on any of His wayward children. He keeps sending His servants to the mission field to minister salvation to the lost. But why do that for stubborn people? LOVE! That’s it.
Raise your children in the fear and admonition of the Lord.
In recent times, many cultures have shifted parenting to only mothers, leaving out the role of fathers in it, which is bad. In fact, there are more single mothers than single fathers in this generation. None of these provides a sufficient environment for raising children to have well-balanced lives. Why? Because if it takes two to produce a child, it obviously takes two to raise one. Don’t be deceived by that doctrine that supports fornication and single parenting outside the context of marriage.
If it takes two to produce a child, it obviously takes two to raise one.
In Ephesians 6:4, the Bible says that fathers are the ones responsible for raising their children in the fear and admonition of the Lord, not mothers. So, if your child knows the Lord more as they grow, it’s dependent on you, the father, not the mother. That is why it is so crucial for spinsters to marry God-fearing, responsible men, not just anybody.
Since this is a command from Scripture, it requires all fathers to be actively present in their children’s lives. So, dear dad, working for long hours and providing financially for your children is not enough. Even if life circumstances have made staying with your wife in one location challenging, don’t make it a lifestyle. Find ways and means to resolve that issue, even if it’ll take some years to do that. Children will be more disciplined and less overly dependent on their mothers when they see their fathers consistently, not only on weekends and festive seasons.
Exercise wisdom and patience in dealing with your children
God is very wise. If He were a God who answers all prayer requests, many Christians would have used Him for many selfish things. That’s why, in James 4:3, the scripture says that those who ask God for things with wrong motives won’t receive them. In the prodigal son’s case, the dad probably didn’t know why the younger son requested his inheritance. There’s no evidence that he queried the boy on why he made that request. He just shared his inheritance among the two sons. That was all.
Here’s something to learn from that. You don’t have to give your children everything they ask for, especially if they see that you have lots of money. If you do that, you’ll grow a spirit of selfishness and greed in them, and they will likely not have enough wisdom to manage everything you provide for them. Just look at the prodigal son. He got his inheritance but lacked the wisdom to manage it. So what? He squandered it. Wealth is not all about material possessions. It takes wisdom to manage it. So, if you want to be rich, don’t chase money first. Instead, ask God for wisdom. By the way, that is what Solomon, the wealthiest man who ever lived on the face of the Earth, did (see 2 Chronicles 1:11-12).
Happy Father’s Day to you.
Also Read: Praying the Right Way for Your Child
