Welcome to our series on Real Biblical Men. This will be an eleven part series (including this introduction) looking at various men from Scripture and how their lives help shape the men of modern times. Unless you live under a secluded, out in the middle of nowhere, isolated, and cut off from technology rock; you know that men are being attacked on all sides. Their masculinity, their independence, their boldness, willingness to stand up for what is right, and their role in the home, the workplace, society, and the church are all being redefined. Fatherlessness is an epidemic across all cultures and has been statistically shown time and time again to be the number one contributor to almost every societal issue we face.
Involved fathers are an integral part of the healthy development of families, communities, and the church. However, it has been evident that society and even the church seem to only address the symptoms of the problem instead of focusing in on the root of the issue. For example, if you fall get hurt and come away with a gaping wound that is bleeding out, the doctor (at least I hope) is not going to focus on the the paleness in your face, the difficulties you have breathing, or the numbness your feeling on account of blood loss. The doctor would immediately identify the root cause of the pale face, difficulty breathing, and numbness by identifying the gaping wound on your person. S/he will then address the root issue and subsequently the symptoms will eventually subside.
The same is true with fatherlessness. One must address the root cause of those symptoms or nothing will ever change. The symptoms we face as a gender men (and there are only 2) are all the result of the root issue. It is a deeper wound that no one ever wants to talk about. Perhaps you had an earthly father who did not show you how to be a Real Biblical Man. Perhaps, he showed you how to be the wrong kind of man. The biggest issue in today’s world, which study after study has proven true time and time again, is the absence of Real Biblical Men in the family, the workplace, in the community and in the church.
This leads to the destruction of the family, which in turn destroys the church and then takes a front row apathetic seat to the devastating free fall into oblivion society is currently on. Secular studies, that is studies based on data obtained by people who suppress the truth in unrighteousness (Rom. 1:18) all say the same thing. They show that when Real Biblical Men are absent in the life of the family, it suffers. If the root issue is not addressed, men will not rise up and fulfill their God given role in the home, the community, and the church. Unfortunately we will watch the family, the church, and society die a slow agonizing and painful death.
Don’t believe its true, look at these stats. First, there are 19.7 million children, more than 1 in 4, who live without a father in the home1. As a result, it has been shown to have a devastating effect on all the societal ills we face. All of them! Including a sleepy apathetic church unwilling to serve where needed that continues to slowly bleed out. Children who live without a father in the home are:
- 4x greater risk of poverty
- More likely to have behavioral problems 85% of children with behavior disorders
- 7x more likely to become pregnant as a teen — 71% of teenage pregnancies
- More likely to face child abuse 2x greater risk of infant mortality
- More likely to abuse drugs and alcohol More likely to go to prison — 85% of prisoners come from fatherless homes
- 2x more likely to suffer obesity
- More likely to commit crime
- 2x more likely to drop out of high school — 71% actually
- 90% of homeless and runaways come from fatherless homes and
- 63% of suicides2
Now that I hopefully have your attention, let me say that statistics are not everything but they do tell a story and contain reliable information. One need only look around at society and see that Real Biblical Men are mostly absent. When men would rather hunt, fish, cruise the ridiculous amount of sports channels, and consume copious amounts of worthless entertainment instead of laying down their life to Christ and in sacrificial humility serve and raise up their families, their communities, and their churches the immediate and long-term devastation will create a massive vacuum in society.
Let us look to the Creator and effect change before it becomes hindsight. Stay tuned for part two of our eleven part series as we take a peak into the life a man who gives us many examples to follow with some to shun. Thanks for reading. If you have some insight on the fatherless epidemic or just want to drop a line, feel free to do so.
1Source: 2017. U.S. Census Bureau. Data represent children living without a biological, step, or adoptive father. 2https://www.fatherhood.org/father-absence-statistic