Walk Like A Man, Lead Like A Man

Swiss researchers arrived at a fascinating conclusion about the impact of mothers' vs. fathers' church attendance on the future religious observance of their children. The detailed survey indicated that if the father attended church regularly, and the mother was non-practicing, then 44% of their children became regular church-goers. But if the mother attended regularly, and the father was non-practicing, then only 2% of their children became regular church attenders.

Even when the father was an irregular attender and the mother non-practicing, a full 25% of their children became regular attenders, while if a mother was a regular attender and the father irregular, only 3% of the children became regular attenders.

In short, if a father does not attend church, it won't matter how dedicated the mother is in her observance, only one child in 50 will become a regular attender. But if a father is even somewhat observant, then regardless of the mother's practice, at least one child in three will become a regular church-goer. The disparity is too stunningly wide to be culturally insignificant. (http://www.financialpost.com/scripts/story.html?id=f98cbb81-efd6-4ccb-bf3f-911bd49321b6&k=88016)

This research shouldn't come as too big of a surprise to the faithful. The Bible teaches that father must take an active role in their children’s faith. Ephesians 6:4 commands, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” Male spiritual leadership is the blue print we see outlined in the scriptures. The current trend in the denominational world is a sharp detour from this model. Maybe that is also why we are now seeing sharp decline in the membership in these denominations as well.

Men must be spiritual leaders in the home and in the church. 1 Corinthians 16:13 tells us, “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” Churches are struggling because men are not standing in the faith. Many homes are not strong because men are not being a stabilizing force in them. It is time for men to act like men and take the lead in their homes!

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