What makes a real man? In this Focus on the Family podcast, Dr. Harold Davis shares a passionate message, strengthening fathers in their important roles in leaving a legacy for their children.
Way before the pandemic, the real crisis of fatherlessness has hit the very fabric of our society. Many children go to bed every night without a dad in the home. Statistics tell us that children living in fatherless homes are at least four times more likely to be living in poverty than children living with a married mum and dad. Teenagers are seven times more likely to be a part of an unplanned pregnancy, and 78% of high school dropouts come from fatherless homes. These are very concerning statistics.
But you can be involved in making a positive change. Dr. Harold Davis, has been working for many years to find and train mentors for fatherless children. He’s the Senior Pastor of Grace Fellowship Church in America, and the founder of a ministry called ‘Talks’, and his heart’s cry is for men to step up to the plate and get busy in the lives of these children who have no dad.
Harold says he’s proud to be a man, and proud to be a dad and he’s so honored to have a family of his own. He is also excited that he has begun building a legacy on his family name.
The Example of Gideon
Harold says if we turn to the book of Judges, we find the example of Gideon, who was one of the great men of the Bible. But the first thing Gideon said when the Lord called upon him was that his family was the smallest family in Judah. They didn’t know anyone important, and he started making excuses. A lot of us are no different when God calls us. We make excuses when we’re called upon to do tasks because we think we’re too ordinary.
“Gideon was forced into a situation where he had to fight,” says Harold. “Gideon was somewhat passive about the mess was going on in the community. But there came a time when he had to fight. The King’s enemies were ruthlessly killing Gideon’s people, and he concluded that it was time to rise up.”
Courage of Jesus
Harold says that when a man sees individuals or forces coming against his family, it’s a natural response to rise up and fight. When a man sees danger coming to his wife and his children, it’s a reflex. “The first thing I see as I look at these verses, is the father’s conquests. Gideon had a conquest, but I also see that he had questions. He was trying to figure out what was going wrong, just like we are today. But as a Christian, I understand because I read my Bible. John 10:10 says that there’s a thief out there. His only job is to steal, to kill and destroy it. I would like to stay to all of the fathers out there that your kids are growing up in an environment where Satan has been given access to their minds at an unprecedented level.”
Harold says that often fathers are too weak in the manner in which they deal with the forces that are destroying our families and our communities. Gideon wanted his son to share in the experience of destroying evil, and it’s very important in our homes that we teach our kids how to destroy evil. And it’s very important that they see us get angry about evil.
“I think it’s awful in our society when women don’t have men to back them up,” Harold continues. “We live in a society where we need to protect our women. It starts in the home and children have a deficit when they don’t have a dad. So what do we do? When the home falls down, the next institution is the church. Whatever’s not happening in your family falls on the church, because the church has got to try to minister to you and help you fix it.”
Harold says he wants to model Jesus Christ who never hesitated a millisecond. “When it was time to intervene on my behalf, Jesus Christ came to earth and did what it needed to be done. And I don’t know about you, but I want Him to come and meet me intervening on behalf of children. I want him to come back and see me being a strong man, not only for my children, but for children in the church and children in the community.”
“We need wisdom and we need courage to deal with our day. I pray for an infusion of strength right now for men and dads in the name of Jesus Christ.”
Books by guest: Championship partnering.
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