As a father one of our main aims is to provide a better future for our children, a better life than we ever had. We need to use great wisdom in laying the foundations of this ‘better life’, lest it collapses like a house of cards, and our children find themselves in a worse rather than better situation. The foundations of any structure are where its strength and stability are found, and if it is built securely it will last for many generations. By laying strong foundations in our family structure and home we are building for our future generations.
According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it
(1 Corinthians 3:10)
Paul the Apostle wrote to the church in Corinth with sage advice for them to consider. Were they building for today only, or were they thinking about the future? We as fathers need to have the same mindset and ensure that the family and home we are attempting to build will last the test of time.
Laying Strong Foundations- Parenting Trends
In our modern age, many different parenting styles are promoted in the media as the 'latest and greatest' parenting guide for dads-to-be or those who have just become a new dad. The foundations of those courses are often built merely on what's 'trending' rather than on proven parenting methods that work and will stand the test of time.
LAYING STRONG FOUNDATIONS-Past Mistakes
Back in the 1950’s there was a new wonder drug released and marketed as a ‘cure’ for anxiety, insomnia, gastritis, and tension which became available to the public ‘over the counter’ at the local pharmacy. The same drug was later used to combat nausea and specifically ‘morning sickness’ in pregnant women, that drug is now better known as ‘Thalidomide’.
As a result of using ‘Thalidomide’ across the world it is estimated that 10,000 children were born with severe deformities of limbs and some internal organs, of these 10,000 only about 50% survived and the remainder had to endure a life of terrible struggle emotionally as well as physically. The drug was heralded as ‘a great scientific breakthrough’ but became a modern tragedy.
Tobacco manufacturers promoted their products successfully for many years, and they even had doctors recommending smoking in their advertisements. It wasn't until scientific research began to reveal that smoking was causing lung cancer that society began to look at smoking cigarettes differently.
LAYING STRONG FOUNDATIONS- Modern Advances
Since the advent of computers, there have been many technological advances in a relatively short period, although not all these advances may ultimately prove beneficial in society.
The ‘Internet’ or ‘World Wide Web’ as it is also called has been one of the greatest advances in history and affects an incredible amount of our modern lives. In one generation we have gone from the proverbial ‘Abacus’ to the ‘Pentium’, from the ‘Model T Ford’ to the ‘Maserati’, and without it, you would not be reading this teaching today. But the same ‘Internet’ that allows us to access copious amounts of useful information at the touch of a button, also enables the worldwide propagation of pornography and the sexual slavery that this ‘industry’ is built upon.
LAYING STRONG FOUNDATIONS- The Test of Time
Advances and breakthroughs must be measured by several factors before we can accurately assess whether they have benefitted our society. Often the long-term results of any new ‘advance’ are not measurable until 20-30 years after it is released in society and if there are detrimental effects they may remain ‘hidden’ for a time. Sometimes we must weigh up the benefits of an ‘advance’ against the disadvantages it offers, and this is most accurately done in hindsight.
We are now beginning to realize that often ‘technological advances’ are the catalysts that bring about ‘social change’. Social change is not to be feared especially if it improves the long-term well-being of the members of the society, however, we would be naive if we assumed that all changes are beneficial. There is a growing awareness in society, that rather than improving life for individuals, some of our technological advances are increasing social alienation and decreasing social interaction.
Our generation has more technology than ever before and yet we are not happier for it. The deeper human interactions we hoped would come from the internet have not resulted, but have produced a feeling of isolation. Rather than looking into each other’s eyes and communicating on a personal level, our children walk around with ‘headphones’ on or looking down constantly at their ‘smartphones’.
LAYING STRONG FOUNDATIONS- Building with Wisdom
As a father, our responsibility is to assess and recognize anything that could potentially prove detrimental to our family. We must then use wisdom to take the appropriate action to remedy the situation. If we see a crack in the foundation of our house we need to consider wisely 1) what caused the breach and 2) how best we can fix it, so it doesn’t collapse upon our loved ones.
LAYING STRONG FOUNDATIONS- Building Upon The Rock
(Matthew 7:24-27)
“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
Whether it’s the ever-increasing reliance upon ‘technology’ or advertisements telling us we need to purchase a new ‘wonder drug’, we as fathers need the wisdom to decide what we allow into our family environment if we are to protect our children’s future.
God Bless
John Nolan
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