Tuesday, February 23, 2010

REAL FATHERS

VISION GROWTH INTERNATIONAL
Article: 04 / 2010 (written by C.G Kanyenze)

REAL FATHERS


He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind….’ Proverbs 11v29 (KJV)

The most successful and very beloved of God king of Israel David on his death bed told his son Solomon, ‘Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes… that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn.’ (1 Kings 2v3).In this article I am highlighting some of the key attributes which makes a man move from merely a male to show himself a man in this life. Remember a person is male by God’s predestination but you become a father by choosing to accept the responsibility which comes with the office. Let’s explore the subject.

Although directed towards bishop 1 Timothy 3 v 2-4 is one of the key scriptures which point out the attributes of successful husbands; it reads, ‘must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, dignified, hospitable, an apt teacher, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, and no lover of money. He must manage his own household well, keeping his children submissive and respectful in every way.’ From Biblical times it was demonstrated that fathers can prophesy their children’s future. Isaac spoke a blessing in Jacob’s life and his lineage surely became blessed. Jacob blessed his son Judah and through his line Jesus the lion of the tribe of Judah came. Fathers are God ordained priests and prophets of the family that’s why we are urged to respect them no matter how reckless they are. Each father will account to God how he looked after his own family. It’s a serious offence to put the name father into disrepute because God is addressed as, ‘Our Father.’ Ask God to give you grace where you are deficient as a father to change for the better. It’s a process it’s not an event like a wedding, be patient with yourself.

The sweetest thing a father can ever hear on earth is to hear his wife saying, ‘My hub is the greatest person I ever met,’ and your children saying, ‘My dad is the greatest…’ Who else does he ever want to please besides his own family? It’s unfortunate due to natural catastrophes such as death; human catastrophes such as war and divorces a significant size of male population never grows up under the fatherhood of their biological fathers. And to some who lived under their fatherhood did not display attributes of great fathers. I will never forget what my friend once told me, ‘When I grow up I don’t want to be like my father.’ This drove me to write about what fathers are expected to contribute to their families. The roles and duties of a father are:-
1) To provide leadership to the family. The father is the head of the house and he is the chief strategist or CEO of the home. Family guiding principles are the responsibility of the father in consultation with the mother. The father must be a symbol of hope to the family in adversity. The family must be seen to be going somewhere with the responsibility resting on the shoulders of the father. No wonder the family is given the surname of this personality.
2) To provide materially for the family. It is the responsibility of the father to provide for the family although of late mothers have begun to significantly contribute towards the family’s needs. This recent development is not unbiblical because in Proverbs 31v10-31 such a wife is mentioned in detail. Many hands make light work. Excessive drinking; clubbing and prostitution is in my eyes the greatest cause of failure of fathers to adequately provide for their times even in good economic times. Proverbs 21v17 says, ‘He who loves pleasure will be a poor man, he who loves wine and oil will not be rich.’
3) To be exemplary by living a principled life. First critical principle a father must have is I am supposed be a husband of one wife always. This is a great responsibility in this wicked world. God is the one who saw the need of Adam to have a wife and he created him one wife, not two or more Eves were created (although God could easily do that). It’s dishonour for a man to have illegitimate children. Honestly speaking the child is not the illegitimate person but the father is the illegitimate person. Teach your children life principles. Teach them to respect time. Help them never to be late at school. If you say we are getting out at 7 get out at 7. If you say you will collect him/her from school at 5 strive to do that. If you say I won’t miss church please don’t miss church. Your principles are most likely to be your child’s involuntary life principles. How you conduct yourself in anger teaches your child how to respond to irritations in your rage remember your children. Violent spouses are groomed in violent homes. If you smoke three cigarettes a day your child will have a smoke legacy and take it to six. Your way of life as a father acts as the skeleton of your children’s lifetime values.
4) To protect his family. A real man protects his family from anything which is a threat to its well being. The threats might be natural or human; spiritual or physical; financial or idealistic. A great father plays his part well of preventing HIV-AIDS pandemic to have access to his own home by being faithful to his one and only sexual partner, his wife. It pains me to see innocent wives being murdered with AIDS because of an unfaithful husband. May God forbid you to be that cruel! If you were unfaithful and you know you are infected already, confess it to your wife and ensure that both of you use Antiretroviral drugs to minimise the damage. Confess (to your wife and God) and forsake your sins before. God is very willing to cleanse anyone from all unrighteousness.
5) To be very knowledgeable about his family. A father must know the needs and wants of his family. Know in detail how your child is doing in his/her schoolwork. Help your child with his/her homework that will make you realise his/her deficiencies and most importantly keep you closely attached to your child. No one must ever be shocked with his/her child’s performance in final examinations unless there was a sudden slump of performance. Paying your child’s school fees is not the only educational responsibility a father has. A father should also give career guidance to the child because that’s the ultimate goal of educating his child.
6) Right-networking his family. You are not always at home but you have a responsibility to monitor and to know who your kids are playing with and what they spend their time doing? Help your wife, in gentleness (since she is an adult), to closely associate with women who add value to her only. If you are not pleased with her choices as hard as it is, it will be high time to change where your home is. One preacher once said, ‘you choose your child’s friends by choosing the place you stay.’ The Bible says, ‘Forsake the foolish and live….’(Proverbs9v6)
7) To discipline his children. The Bible says, ‘Discipline your son while there is still hope…’ (Proverbs 19v18) and goes on to say, ‘Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.’ (Proverbs 22v6). Fathers have a responsibility to teach their children to have values, principles and morals above that they have a punishing role as well. One piece of advice; before you punish your child in any way, first show your unquestionable compassion. Teach your family to be responsible. Teach them to enjoy but not to waste especially food. Teach them financial principles like a fool and his money are soon parted. Never use debt for daily consumption; cut your jacket according to your cloth. Teach your family to be good neighbours, good students and good citizens. Teach them that life is not all about themselves but they are responsible for others as well for example the sick, elderly, prisoners, orphans etc. It takes a father’s considerable attention to have a disciplined child.
8) To decide where to get counsel in good and bad times. Hear me African men seeking counsel is not a sign of weakness or inadequacy but it’s a display of great wisdom because, ‘Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.’ (Prov 11v14). With your wife agree where you are comfortable to get counsel; they might be relatives, friends, fellow Christians or pastors. Make this choice early when things are still rosy since you will not easily agree in bad times. Fire extinguishers are not to be procured when there is a fire outbreak since it will be too late.
9) To make family life fun. The father determines the general atmosphere of the home. If he is always grave faced the home will be tense and if he is always smiling no one feels comfortable not being happy. Yes you can be angry but not for more than a day. Story telling during weekends might be the most memorable part of your family’s reflection. Dare to do a one-on-one meeting to just tell your child, ‘I am proud to be a father to such a wonderful child like you. In you I have realised that children are a gift from God. I love you – (say his/her name).’When you mess up please apologise. A few days after spanking your child talk to him/her what she thinks about it and explain yourself etc. Write your spouse and your kids some small love assurance letters occasionally. Let not a year pass without taking your family out because it refreshes your family environment. Your kids will have something new to talk about. Even the question, ‘when are we going to go out again,’ makes life different.
10) To control the size of the family. A responsible father has a greater financial responsibility for each child born. A child’s future must not be made a game of chance. This demands forward thinking prior to having a child. Agree with your wife the number of children you can comfortably afford to have. Get me right; nothing is wrong in having 20 children if you can afford to fend for the children and also if it does not endanger your wife’s health. On the other hand something is wrong if a couple has four children and go about begging for school fees every school term. I will insist on this point till Africans reproduce according to their financial capacity.

My Quotable Quote: It’s a great honour to be called a father but it calls for great sacrifices. In heaven God is dad and on earth the husband is the dad.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

SUCCESSFUL FAMILIES by C.G. Kanyenze

VISION GROWTH INTERNATIONAL
Article: 03 / 2010 (written by C.G Kanyenze)

SUCCESSFUL FAMILIES

‘If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his own family, he has disowned the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.’ 1 Timothy 5 v 8

I can’t say I have exhausted the major requirements of success if I omit the family factor in my writing. For success to be fulfilling, it needs to be evident in your own home. Success in public and failure at home will eventually amount to dismal failure. I have in mind the Bill Clinton, Tiger Woods and John Terry cases. Success is sweetest when you share it with the closest people you have in your life that is, your family. Companies are not insane in extending some of your benefits to your spouse and children like medical insurance, education etc. They know that they can’t get the most out of you with a neglected family at your back. The Bible goes on to say that if you neglect your own family you are worse than an unbeliever.

The pillars of a family are the husband and wife. If the pillars are strong then, the family structure can survive any ‘earthquake’. If the pillars are in discord the structure can crumble on the slightest pressure. This has led me to start these family series with what couples must do to make their marriages successful:-
Love one another. Jesus said they shall know that you are my disciples if you have love one for another John 13 v 35.The Bible in 1 John 4 v 8 goes to the extent of saying , ‘Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.’ You can’t have a happy marriage when you hate your spouse for whatever reason. Real love was defined in 1 Corinthians 13 v 4 – 8, ‘Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. LOVE NEVER ENDS….’
Thou shall not commit adultery (Exodus 20v14). Convince yourself and commit yourself only to your spouse and spouse alone. The Shona wise sociologists had this common phrase, `Zingizi gonyera pamwe maruwa enyika haaperi.’It can be paraphrased to, ‘There can be many beautiful ladies but you cannot love them all. Stick to one.’ Ask God for grace to only make him/her your only sexual partner. As much as you have convinced yourself that you can’t sleep with your brother or sister convince yourself that its taboo to have extra-marital affairs. Judge Willem Van Der Merwe told Jacob Zuma on his rape trial, ‘If you can control your body and your sexual urges, then you will be a man, my son.’ In no uncertain terms the Bible says in Proverbs 6 v 32 (R.S.V), ‘He who commits adultery has no sense; he who does it destroys himself.’
Forgive each other. Have you realised that someone else’s weaknesses or mistakes seem to be greater than yours. The truth is both of you think the same so, be rationale and be ready to forgive as you will also need it at some point. We all make mistakes that’s why the Bible says in 1 John 1 v 8 , ‘If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.’ Taking it from Jesus, He who is perfect let him/her cast the stones on his/her spouse. We all mess up at some point in our lives so there is need to forgive always till we are glorified on the second coming of Jesus. If I once fought and offended my brother and today we are closest of friends why cant spouses do the same? Divorce comes when one person gets to convince himself/herself that he/she is not going to forgive and terms that ‘irreconcilable differences with mate.’ Choose to forgive. Don’t keep grudges, conveniently air out your concern and move on. ‘He who covers an offence promotes love but, whoever repeats the matter separates intimate friends.’ (Proverbs 17v9). Repeating 1999 issues will not make your marriage better for progress sake please move on.
Respect each other. The best places to go are the places where you are respected. If you want your husband to be home in time respect him. If you want your wife to love you so much, respect her as well. Take heed of 1 Peter 3v 7 which says, ‘Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.’ Professional women get it from me,- men are not after business partners when looking for wives so don’t let your income earning capacity make you a husband as well. Give your husband the honour and position he deserves (Ephesians5 v 22, 23) and he is also compelled by God to love you as much as Christ loved the church Ephesians 5 v 25.
Be honest. How can you claim to be close to your spouse when you don’t tell him/her the truth? What makes you free is the truth according to John8 v32. You ought to be like Jesus who says in John 14 v 6, ‘I am the truth….’ If you choose to lie get this; ‘The devil is the father of lies when he speaks lies he is speaking his native language. (John8v 44). Don’t identify with the devil he is too evil to be your father. I asked a certain lady what is her biggest lesson from her marriage and to my amazement she said, ‘Never trust a man.’ That told me that someone became dishonest and unfaithful somewhere along the marriage highway.
Be confidential. Criticise privately and praise publicly. ‘A talebearer (gossiper) revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.’ Proverbs 11v13. Who would like to divulge any meaningful information in his/her bedroom only to hear it told in the streets? Saying bad things about your spouse to your friends or relatives will not help to solve your issues. When you need counselling find counsellors who can be confided in.
Be focussed and committed to your marriage and family goals. Think, analyse and strategise to make your marriage the best it can be. You can do a SWOT analysis of your spouse and have strategic plans to deal with contentious issues with your mate. Haven’t you seen articles written on how to deal with a troublesome boss? Your spouse is not troublesome as such; so he/she can be dealt with tactically with wisdom from above. Strategic planning is not for businesses and companies alone. You can as well do family strategic planning to deal with difficult members. Sit down, plan, strategise, budget and implement family objectives together. How can two walk together unless they agree? You can’t make any progress with no common standpoint.
Appreciate each other and be each other’s cheer leader. Convince yourself that your spouse is the best person anyone could ever have had and tell him/her that. Make each other feel like a champion in everything. Let him/her walk on cloud nine. Be his/her greatest cheer leader (chief supporter). Celebrate your spouse’s victories more than anyone else on earth. Encourage each other good or bad times. This way you make yourself indispensable come what may. Make your home the best place you can ever be in. Don’t become your spouse’s worst adversary. Support your spouse through and through. Husbands remember your wives are still interested in those surprise gifts even after marriage. Wives don’t forget that your husbands are still as interested in seeing you looking splendid just like when you were still dating.
Have a teachable spirit. No one is perfect so you are someone who is being processed to become a real person. Your spouse is one person who would like to see you improve the most, so take his/her feedback as the active ingredient for your growth and not as criticism or a symbol of not being loved. Yes you can object on how it is said but don’t get to say, ‘I don’t want to hear about it.’ That’s denial of reality because your not hearing about it does not mean your spouse has no opinion on it. Admit correction and pay attention to issues in question. Don’t be defensive, just ask for his/her patience.
Use your tongue wisely and manage your anger. The wise wrote, ‘A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. (Proverbs 15v1). He goes further to radically point out, ‘Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.’(Proverbs 29v20). In my opinion wrong use of words is the biggest cause of divorce. Adultery itself is a result of wrong use of words unless its rape. Pray like David, ‘Set a watch (guard), O lord, before my mouth, keep the door of my lips. Psalm 141 v 3. The Bible precisely state, ‘…let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.’ (James 1 v 19).
Love your in-laws. A lady can’t hate her mother-in-law or father-in-law and expect a perfect relationship with her husband. At worst respect and love your husband’s parents just for birthing your spouse. Likewise the husband has a duty to love the in-laws as well since they are the people who brought about the existence of his beloved wife. Blood is at times thicker than the marriage bond; don’t poison your relationship by bad talking your in-laws especially to your spouse.
Remove the word divorce from your dictionary. If God hates divorce (Malachi 2v 16) why would like to provoke him by making it a possibility in your marriage. Remember divorce starts in the mind. If you make it an option the opportunity will always arise. If you disregard it only opportunities of reconciliation will arise.
Prepare for challenges and adversities. Be prepared to face challenges and be committed to do whatever it takes to overcome them. Most divorcees get to endure second marriages and they keep regretting thinking if only had they endured a bit longer in the first marriage , life could have been better. Accept it, challenges inevitably come; even Jesus told His disciples, "It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come…” (Luke 17v1). Accept the uniqueness of your spouse. Celebrate diversity of your opinions. You are two individuals who came together at times agree to disagree. Don’t win an argument but get further away from your spouse.

My Quotable Quote: Successful minds are grown in successful families.

Vision Growth International is a motivational company which is committed to the transformation of humanity through expression of simple yet profound divine wisdom to whosoever requires it. To receive the articles directly write to cgkanyenze@gmail.com with subject ‘Subscribe’ .
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