Genesis 1:27-28 (NKJV) So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Today, we live in a fatherless generation where many people lack a strong father figure at home because their fathers are absent. 50% of marriages worldwide end in divorce, and if fathers believe that their business or career is their top priority, they will likely think they have done enough for their children by providing for them financially and don’t spend time addressing other aspects of their needs. What they don’t realise is that children have emotional, psychological, and spiritual needs, in addition to their physiological needs.
Christians are called to be the salt of the world. Salt acts as a preservative to prevent food from rotting. Therefore, fathers in the church must differ from those in the world. Believers’ values should follow this order of priority: God, family, and career. When these values are in the correct order, it becomes much easier to make informed decisions and recognise the non-negotiables when specific opportunities arise.
The role of the father is the second role assigned to a man after that of a husband. These two roles were given to Adam before God asked him to manage the Garden of Eden. It was family first, followed by work. God commanded Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply to fill the earth. This means God doesn’t want us to stop at one child, but to have as many children as possible. Thereafter, He asked them to have dominion over all that He had created. This means work comes after starting a family and fatherhood. The current decline in the global birth rate is not God’s will, but is partially due to people being too busy with their work.
Unfortunately, after the fall of mankind, men have identified themselves with work to prove their worth before God. The root of rejection that began in the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve were expelled, was passed down through the generations. Cain sought to gain God’s acceptance and approval through the produce of his labour, whereas Abel responded to God’s instructions by offering an unblemished animal to God. God was pleased with Abel and accepted his offering.
Today, mankind seeks approval, validation, and affirmation from men based on their work in the business and corporate world. Many have forgotten the importance of the family, accepting living apart from their spouse and children to pursue their careers. That is individualism, and they will miss out on a significant portion of their children’s developmental years, causing them to be detached from them due to the lack of bonding.
As Christians, we should set our priorities correctly. The proper order is to worship God, start a family—including becoming a father—and carry out the work that God has entrusted to us. This is the order that God has established for us.
Sermon Series: Dads for Life
神期待我们活出父亲的身份
创世记 1:27-28 神就照着自己的形象造人，乃是照着祂的形象造男造女。神就赐福给他们，又对他们说：「要生养众多，遍满地面，治理这地，也要管理海里的鱼、空中的鸟，和地上各样行动的活物。」
如今，我们生活在一个父亲缺失的世代，许多人在家中缺少一位坚毅的父亲形象，因为父亲往往不在身边。当今世界上有50%的婚姻以离婚收场，而如果父亲认为事业或生意是他们的首要任务，他们很可能会觉得，只要在经济上为孩子提供保障，就已经尽到了责任。然而，他们没有意识到，孩子除了在生理上有需要以外，还同样有情感、心理和属灵上的需要。
基督徒蒙召要作世上的盐。盐有防腐的作用，可以使食物免于腐坏。因此，教会中的父亲应当与世上的父亲有所不同。信徒的价值观应当遵循这样的次序：神、家庭、事业。当这些价值观摆放在正确的次序上时，我们就更容易在面对各种机会时，作出明智的决定，并辨认出哪些是不可妥协的。
父亲的角色，是男人在成为丈夫之后所领受的第二个角色。这两个角色都是神赐给亚当的，在祂吩咐亚当管理伊甸园之前就已经设立了。也就是说，神的次序是：先有家庭，其次才是工作。神吩咐亚当和夏娃要生养众多，遍满全地。这表明神并不是要人只生一个孩子，而是愿意我们多多生养儿女。随后，祂才吩咐他们管理祂所创造的一切。这意味着工作是建立家庭、进入父职之后才被设立的。如今全球出生率的下降，并不是神的心意，其中部分原因是人们过于忙于工作。
可惜的是，在人类堕落之后，男人开始以工作来证明自己在神面前的价值。那从伊甸园起源的拒绝感——当亚当和夏娃被逐出伊甸园时所产生的——就这样一代代传了下来。该隐试图通过自己劳作的出产来赢得神的接纳与认可，然而亚伯却顺服神的指示，将一只没有瑕疵的牲畜献给神。神喜悦亚伯，并接受了他的供物。
今天，人们往往在商业和职场中，透过自己的工作来寻求他人的认可、肯定与赞许。许多人已经忽视了家庭的重要性，甚至接受与配偶、孩子分离生活，只为追求事业的发展。这正是一种个人主义的表现，而他们也因此错过了孩子成长过程中极为关键的岁月，由于缺乏陪伴与联结，最终导致与孩子渐行渐远。
作为基督徒，我们应当把优先次序摆正。正确的次序是：先敬拜神，其次建立家庭——包括进入父亲的身份——然后才去完成神所托付的工作。这是神为我们所设立的次序。
讲章系列：为父之道
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