A father affects his child’s life monumentally whether he is present or not. At least, that is my belief. Fatherhood is a great responsibility and that is evident in the Bible verses about fatherhood.
In this article, we will review the reason why we should care at all about what the Bible says about being a good father. We will also look at some of the types of fathers in the Bible. First, though, what are some Bible verses about fatherhood?
What does the Bible say about being a good father?
Here are 11 of the most interesting and useful things that the Bible says about being a good dad:
- Deuteronomy 30:5 And the LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers.
A good father will inspire his child to be better than him. In all ways possible. Good fathers want to see their kids excel. He will not only set an example to his kids, but he will also want his children to be even more blessed by God than he is.
- Ephesians 6:4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
A lot like the previous verse, this is one of the Bible verses about fatherhood that stresses the importance of training your children in the way that they should go. It goes further though to urge fathers not to set out to intentionally frustrate their kids. A good father does not push his children to anger.
- Genesis 49:26 Your father’s blessings are greater than the blessings of the ancient mountains, than the bounty of the age-old hills. Let all these rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince among his brothers.
A good father declares blessings over his children and never curses because he recognizes the power of his tongue.
RELATED: 10 of the Greatest Scriptures to Speak over your child
- Genesis 18:19 For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.
A good father is the general of his household. He is the commander. Of course, this can be shown in different ways depending on a man’s personality. He is not to be feared in the way that some would believe, but rather to be respected. He should be able to hold and keep the attention of his children and guide them in the way of the Lord.
- 1 Timothy 5:8 But those who won’t care for their relatives, especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers.
This scripture about being a good father shows us that they are providers. This is apparently very important to God as he labels those who do not do so “worse than unbelievers”!
- James 1:22 But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
It is not enough for a man to hear and listen to God’s word. A good father acts on what he has heard. Good fathers are aware of the weight of their responsibility and they take that responsibility on.
- Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
A good father is focused on those things that will lead to the success and prosperity of his family rather than on frivolous thoughts that do not advance his family in any way.
- Luke 15:18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee…
Of course, the parable of the prodigal son has some awesome fatherhood Bible verses. The Bible verses about fatherhood in this parable are a great way to delve into what a father should aim to be. This particular verse shows that a good father is one whose child knows that they can come back to him when they have wronged him and he will gladly receive them.
- Genesis 27:27 So he went to him and kissed him. When Isaac caught the smell of his clothes, he blessed him and said, ‘Ah, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field that the LORD has blessed.
This is one of those special Bible verses about fatherhood that highlights one of a father’s unique responsibilities to his children. He must be able to sniff out or identify opportunities for success for his family. He should identify those opportunities not just in the world but especially in his children. He should be able to identify their talents.
- Luke 15:12, The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
A good father is not only a provider. He also tries to leave an inheritance to his children. Please note that the inheritance is not necessarily monetary.
- Luke 18:1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.
Good fathers are prayer warriors. They cover their children spiritually.
Why do we need Bible verses about being a good father?
The Bible, if you are a believer in and follower of Jesus Christ and His teachings, is the ultimate guidebook for life. That, therefore, includes how to be a good father. The bible verses about fatherhood give fathers an understanding of what God expects from them once they become fathers.
We need Bible verses about how to be good fathers because no father is perfect. It is useful to learn from the ultimate Father.
We also need Bible verses about fathers because not every father would have had an example of any kind of dad in their own life. There are some dads who did not have any male leadership growing up and so do not know where to look for guidance on how to be a good dad.
Scriptures about fatherhood can serve as guidance for men in that situation.
The 5 Types of fathers in the Bible
Arguably, the Bible presents images of five types of dads.
- The Abraham type. They are excellent examples for their kids and provide them with inspiration for how they themselves can be.
- The Ahab type. The dad who is so weak that his wife and kids are forced to intervene and take up his responsibilities for him.
- The Abdicate father. The one who fails to take responsibility for his family and so neglects disciplining his kids.
- The Absentee dad. This speaks for itself. He is never present to do any of the raising of his kids.
- The Abusive dad. Emotionally, physically and/or mentally abusive.
If you are a dad reading this right now, we can guess which type of father you are striving to be.
I hope these Bible verses about fatherhood provide some insight and clarity to you.
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