6 Roles of a Father in the Family

What is the importance or role of a father in the family? Fathers play an important and unique role in the growth and development of their children. There’s no doubt that without a good and responsible father, a family can experience many challenges and problems.

Below are 6 responsibilities and roles of a father in the family.

1. Fathers establish Protection and Security
The role of a father is to provide his children with mental, spiritual and physical protection. Every day there are dangerous philosophies and ideologies which specifically target children, such as LGTBQ ideology or Satanism in many unscrupulous entertainment shows which attempt to indoctrinate children and override parental authority.
Furthermore a father provides physical protection and is willing to do everything in his power to prevent his children from being physically harmed.
So a good father endeavors to make his children feel safe and protected in the world. Fathers are warriors who shield their children from the various attacks and deceptions in this world.

2. Fathers Provide Practical Mentorship
A father prepares his children for adulthood. Fathers are practical role models whose lessons are learnt by kids through practical living and experience.
Fatherhood is more than just giving verbal advice to your kids. Instead a good father finds practical ways to train and develop his children as they grow through providing their kids with practical life lessons and experience.
So fathers are capable of equipping and mentoring their children to gain the personality and virtues that are required to survive in a tough and cruel world.
Fathers can train children to think logically and not just emotionally. Fathers can easily equip their children with practical problem solving skills which kids can apply as they grow and develop.
For children, fathers are the best guides to practically teach them the true nature of this world and how to responsibly live and navigate in an ever-changing world.

Proverbs 22:6NLT says: Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.

3. Fathers Provide Discipline
The father is a disciplinary figure in the home. He provides stability and control in the home. He ensures that his children understand their boundaries and the rules of the home. A good father is also willing to lovingly teach or implement disciplinary action to his children for any misbehavior.

Proverbs 13:24NLT reads: Those who spare the rod of discipline hate their children. Those who love their children care enough to discipline them.

4. Fathers Encourage their Children
A good father should not be a harsh authoritarian or dictator in the home. Instead he must learn to be calm and be approachable as often as possible.

Fathers should be ready to lovingly and calmly provide counsel, advice and encouragement to their children for any problem or issue that a child might bring to him.

Therefore children should not be afraid to approach their fathers because a good father will create a conducive environment in the home where his children can talk to him about anything.

Colossians 3:21 says: Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

5. Fathers are Providers
For a father to be a provider, it is not about endeavoring to make lots of money. Instead with the little money that one makes, a good father sacrificially ensures that his income benefits his children first and foremost.
A responsible father does not work for himself, but he works for his children and family. A good father will ensure that his own children have drink and food to eat first, before he buys anything personal for himself.

1 Timothy 5:8 says: But those who won’t care for their relatives, especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers.

6. Fathers must Pray for their Children
Earthly or biological fathers are not perfect and neither are they omnipresent. However there is a perfect and omnipresent Father in Heaven who is always present for our children.
Therefore a good father will always pray for his children and place his kids in the hands of the Lord.
So a good fathers must pray for his children’s salvation, protection and future. He must also ultimately direct his kids to the perfectly heavenly Father.