God’s Word makes it clear: as fathers, we are called to lovingly discipline our children in order to help them grow into well-rounded, responsible adults. Throughout history, the Lord has demonstrated His deep love for His people. Yet, in His righteousness, He also judges and disciplines when necessary. As godly fathers and grandfathers, we are to follow His example—offering both love and correction as we raise the next generation.
- Proverbs 23:22: Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.
- 2 Samuel 7:14-15: I will be a father to him, and he’ll be a son to me. When he does wrong, I’ll discipline him in the usual ways, the pitfalls and obstacles of this mortal life. But I’ll never remove my gracious love from him.
- Proverbs 22:6: Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.
- Psalm 103:13: As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.
- Ephesians 6:4: Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.
- Proverbs 23:24: “The father of a righteous child has great joy; a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him.
- 1 Timothy 3:2 – 5: Therefore an overseer (Father) must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive,for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?
- Joshua 24:15: But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, ………… But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” (NIV)
- Proverbs 23:24: The father of a righteous child has great joy; a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him.
- Luke 15:20: So he got up and went to his father. ‘But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.’”
Above Scriptures Are From Various Translations
Regarding Godly Fathers, Martin Luther said, “Keep an apple beside the rod to give the child when he does well.” Discipline must be exercised with watchful care and constant training with much prayer. Chastening, discipline, and counsel by the Word of God, giving both reproof and encouragement, is at the core of “admonition.”
On this Father’s Day, we should not only our honor earthly Father’s, but our Heavenly Father as well.
