Father-Mentor-Coach
Nothing can replace the value of a good father in a child’s life. This post is primarily for men today. I am not devaluing the role of a female or a mother, I admire women coaches and mothers for trying to step up and play both the mother and father’s role, but truth is, that is not God’s plan. God’s plan includes a Father and a Mother! The absence of the father is at the center of a real pandemic we face today.
A father’s role is to be a powerful mentor in their children’s life. A living example of how to work hard to provide, protect, nurture, and love. He is to model character, morals, and values, while demonstrating strength and courage.
I recently heard the following staggering U.S. statistics taken from the following powerful message regarding fatherlessness.
- In 1950 less than 5% (4.2) of children were born out of wedlock.
- Today, 51% of children are born out of wedlock.
- 1700% increase in Fatherlessness
- Now that’s a Real Pandemic!
- 90% of inmates are men
- 75% of inmates grew up without father
- If you want to empty prisons, return Godly fathers to the home.
- 63% of suicides come from fatherless homes (5x more likely)
- 90% of homeless runaway children (32x more likely)
- 80% of all rapist (14x more likely to rape someone)
- 85% of kids with behavior disorders (20x the average)
- 71% of High School Dropouts (9x average)
Without the father in this role. How do we fill the vacuum of fatherlessness? So often a grandparent, an uncle/aunt, a teacher, or more times than not, a coach takes on the role of being this valuable mentor. Like it or not the responsibility that comes with coaching is eternal. We as coaches will be held accountable one day for the role we played in mentoring our players.
Why is it, not until we become parents ourselves, we realize the value a mentor had in shaping our own lives? Sadly a bad mentor/coach can do just as much harm as a good mentor can help.
Malachi 4:5-6
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”
This is a real executive order or mandate compared to what we have been dealing with from our executive office. One version changes the word ‘awesome’ to ‘glorious’, but many versions replace ‘awesome’ with ‘terrible’ or ‘dreadful’. Why the drastic range of word choice? It all depends on whether you are ready for the Lord to return, or not.
Only the One True God, our Heavenly Father, knows the day and hour of the return of the Lord. Until then, we must refocus our goal on returning the hearts of fathers to their children!
Spirit Led Men Coaches, I call on you to continue to stand in the gap for the fatherless! Be led by the Holy Spirit and be Godly Mentors by daily modeling an example of what a Godly Father looks, sounds, and loves like!
Photo by City of Gold Coast on Unsplash