Father as Head and Leader
Mark 10:42-43 MSG, 1 Corinthians 2:16 MSG and Hebrews 11:7 MSG
http://www.fivestarman.comSolomon wrote over 3000 proverbs to teach his son life lessons. As father, we have the responsibility to lead our families. Fathers are foundational. Regardless of popular culture, fatherhood is the head of the family. Most of our societal issues can be traced to either the absence of fatherhood or the abuse of fathers.
Jesus taught leadership this way: "You've observed how godless rulers throw their weight around," he said, "and when people get a little power how quickly it goes to their heads. It's not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not to be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for many who are held hostage."
As the head of the family, the father is responsible for the family. Some men "throw their weight around" and exclaim, "I am the head of this house!" Yet, they forget what the functions of the head is about.
1. The Head houses the brain - Unfortunately, men have allowed themselves to be misrepresented in society as bubbling idiots. If the man is going to be head of the family he needs the Mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). We need the knowledge and wisdom to lead our family. We must be problem solver. We must be the engineer of the family plans. The father should be the counselor, financial planner, and manager of resources.
2. The Head gives us eyes to see - The father is the visionary leader of the family. As visionary, the father is able to be observant to the surroundings. He is perceptive and alert to dangers. He is directional, knowing where he is going (contrary to popular belief that men do not ask for directions).
3. The Head has a nose for discernment - I have a hyper-sensitivity to smells. Mold, cigarette smoke, foods are overwhelming to me at times. Amazingly, this awareness didn't develop until I began to ask God for spiritual discernment. Corresponding to spiritual discernment, I also became hyper-sensitive to physical smells. The father can sense what is ahead. Noah was a discerner. He was warned about things to come, so he built an ark to save his family (Hebrews 11:7).
4. The Head has ears to hear - As a father, you have sensitive ears to listen. This cannot be over emphasized - a father must listen to his family. They must know that you hear them. Listening is the greatest gesture of love. They must have confidence that you hear them. Occasionally, I have trouble hearing. Not because I don't want to but because I have wax build up that stops up my ability to hear - everything becomes dull. About every three months, I buy Chinese wax candles to clean out my ears. It is amazing how it works for me. Recently, I gave a pastor friend a package of Chinese wax candles. He called me later, "Neil, you can't believe how much stuff came out of my head! My family is so excited because the television volume went from 50 down to 23."
