What is the difference in being a male and a man? You were born male. It is your gender. You had no choice in the matter. To be a man you must choose to be one and work every day at becoming one and remaining one. (Rogers W. Jackson, Emmanuel Baptist Church, Chicago, Illinois)
You must choose to become a man of God by putting your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
A man must choose to walk with God before his family and not be ashamed to carry them along on the journey of faith knowing that this is the will of God for their lives.
Men if we do not establish the proper relationship with God before our family so that they know the God of their father they may never get to know Him on their own.
Absent in the home are praying men, knee bent men before God Almighty, men who put God first in all that they do. Absent are men who have made God their priority. In the book of Matthew 6:33 we are taught to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things would be added unto you.”
Early in life young men are knocked off track and loose purpose for their lives because their role models were women, money and things as their priority. God was not first, if He was thought of at all. Young women are disillusioned by their fathers when they don’t see them affectionately loving their mothers. Men, our daughters are paying attention to everything we do. They will one day grow up and look for someone just like you. Be careful how you live before your children.
What do our children see in us? Do they see a model of consistency, a model of a man who loves and trust in God? Do they see a man of prayer, of gentleness and loving kindness for others?
Our children would have no trouble following God if we consistently modeled Him before them. They need to know that we really believe in Him for all things; in good times and bad. Every day they need to hear our positive confession of our need of our Father which is in heaven.
I shared all of that to say this: Colossians 3:21 (KJV)
Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.
In this text the Apostle Paul warned fathers against becoming too severe with their children, lest the latter become discouraged because of the severity of the demands placed upon them. Sincere parents, of course, want their children to surrender their lives to Christ and do His will. Because of this they have a strong tendency to pressure their children to do right, and if they are not very careful, this pressure can take the form of constant nagging. While the Scriptures definitely instruct children to obey their parents, parents should not depend on force but administer discipline in love, justice, and moderation.
Fathers, the things we do and the examples we set will last for generations after us. Make sure you can deal with the mess that you have made.