As a Christian mom, it is my goal to teach my kids about Jesus. It is my sincere hope that they fall in love with Him and want to serve Him all their lives. It would be very human of me to think that I could make that happen all by myself. The truth, however, is that God doesn’t make things happen that way. None of us do anything all alone. God has to be part of the equation. Our husbands do too. Here is the truth behind why Dad should be the spiritual leader…
Why Dad Should Be the Spiritual Leader
Dad Should Be the Spiritual Leader Because God Said So
I would be wrong to omit that important fact. God said so. Our husbands are to lead our families.
For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.” Ephesians 5:23 ESV
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.” Ephesians 5:25-32
Statistics Behind Why Dad Should Be the Spiritual Leader
Dads have a stronger impact on the spiritual development of their children than mothers. Click To TweetYou can’t argue with statistics. Dads have a huge impact on their children. Statistics continually show that Dads have a stronger impact on the spiritual development of their children than the mothers do. If a mom goes to church regularly, but not the dad, only 50% are likely to grow up and attend church. Another interesting statistic is that when a father is the first in a household to become a Christian, there is a 97% chance that everyone else will follow. If a mother is the first in a household to become a Christian, there is only a 17% chance everyone will follow. As a mom, that is a tough pill to swallow!
Mom’s Role
Keep Fighting the Good Fight, Momma!
But swallow it, we must. Statistics show us why Dad should be the spiritual leader. Don’t be discouraged, however. Keep fighting the good fight, Momma! After all, these statistics are about attending church. They aren’t focussed on how sincere a parent walks the Christian walk in front of and with their children.
Train up a child in the way he should go;
even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6 ESV
If you are the mother of a little one, you should check out God Loves Mommy and Me.
Encourage Your Husbands to Lead Family Worship
Keep encouraging your husband to be the spiritual leader in your home. It’s easy to buy into all the things we hear about modern feminism. We want to steam roll ahead without letting our husbands be the spiritual leaders of the household. That is clearly not what God has called us to do. We need to encourage our husbands to take the lead at family worship time.
The righteous who walks in his integrity—
blessed are his children after him!” Proverbs 20:7 ESV
God Loves Daddy and Me
Family Worship Time with the Little Ones
The truth behind why Dad should be the spiritual leader might lead you to the question, “How can Dad lead family worship?” If you have younger children, God Loves Daddy and Me
My favorite page shows the daddy and child in prayer together. “When we tell Him (God) ‘Thank You,’ it’s the best part of our day!” This is a perfect segway into a time praying together and thanking God.
Enter to Win
I am pleased to announce that you have a chance to win a copy of God Loves Daddy and Me
For Dads with Older Children
If you have older children and don’t know where to start, dads can:
- Read a favorite Bible passage.
- Sing worship songs.
- Get a children’s book of devotions.
- Check out any of my Family Bible Adventures. Say a prayer for guidance, and God will honor a dad’s desire to lead.
Dad, enjoy leading your family and watching them fall in love with Jesus.
What role does Dad play in spiritual development in your home?
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I have definitely seen how children with a father who was not active in the spiritual life are more likely to fall away from the church. I am so grateful that my husband felt pulled to embrace the Christian faith more when we were marrying. In so many areas, my boys are more likely to heed his words than mine.
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The role of the house as God ordained it has God at the top, husband underneath Him, wife underneath husband, and kids underneath wife. The husband is the head of the household in many ways! It’s his duty to wash the wife and the children with the Word. If the man is out of order, the whole house could suffer by missing out. It’s our duty as wives to pray for our husbands and submit to them!
Very true!
This is so true! I’m blessed with a man that is firm in his faith and in the Word. I know because of that, our children will desire even more to live out that life as well! Thanks for sharing this post!
Denise Renae recently posted…Getaway (Quarterly Review) Summer ’17
As a wife of someone who is not a believer, this is really hard to read. I so ache for him to be our spiritual leader. I do hope his lack of faith doesn’t take away from all I’ve done to grow a spiritual home, but I am glad that he is a protector and provider and he does attend church with us which gives me hope.
Jennifer DeFrates/Heaven Not Harvard recently posted…Beating Body Image Issues: Compared to Who?
My husband also goes to church but does not our home spiritually. As a result, our kids drifted away as teens and only two of five of them have returned to worship and serve Him so far as adults. This is an awesome post and the truth when it comes to a man’s role in the home. Thanks so much for the courage to post something some people don’t want to hear but is the truth nonetheless. God bless you.
God bless you too. Prayers for your family!
Exactly – God gave the man dominion over the household – including spiritual dominion
Dad is definitely in charge spiritually! And he leads primarily by example. He loves to serve at church and others and my kids are learning to have a servant’s heart as well. He’s also the one who encourages the prayers before meals and at bedtime.
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