Swaziland, much like America, is a nation of the fatherless. So when we chose our topic for a small group meeting on Thursday night to be God as our Father and what that means it seemed more than appropriate. The fact, however, that we chose it 10 minutes before we started was an interesting twist. But we were confident that since God put it on our hearts that He would give somebody words. Little did I know that it would be me He gave those words to…
A group of about twenty kids showed up, mostly boys, but a few girls as well. After singing a few songs, the discussion began with Emma asking a few questions and reminding them of what we talked about at the previous meeting. After a few minutes of that and shortly answered questions I asked how many of them had fathers at home. Some raised their hands, and some did not. Then I proceeded to ask how many of the one’s who did have fathers were taught, for the boys, to be men of God. NONE of them raised their hands. Not one child in that group of twenty was being taught lessons about God from their dads. It was so sad, but at the same time it opened up a cool door.
I told them that their fathers were supposed to teach them things like that. For the boys, they are supposed to learn how to be men of God, and for the girls how to love God as their Father. I told them that after my dad moved out it was sometimes really hard to see God as my Father, because the idea of a father left a sad and painful taste in my mouth. I explained that for a boy it can also make it hard to know how to grow into a man of God. However, I reassured them that they should not feel bad about not knowing because it was not their fault.
From here I focused mainly on the boys, since there were so many of them. I told them that even though it is not their fault, they are responsible to do something about it. I told them they need to find somebody they look up to who can teach them how to become men of God, like the ministry partners in Swaziland, for example. Find somebody they can ask questions to and get advice from. Then, take what that person does or says and apply it to their lives. Even more importantly, they can go to God for help, because He is a God that wants to be a PERFECT Father to them. He is a father who will help them, and be there for them, and love them no matter what! He is not a father like their earthly fathers who does not help them and gets frustrated with them.
It was SO cool to have God literally putting words into my mouth. At the end of the talk we challenged them to step up and become the fathers and mothers that God intended for this country. We want them to become men and women of God and bring up families that will become men and women of God. We know they are perfectly capable of that. That is also the challenge I feel like God is calling me to bring to anybody who reads this blog. Step up. Don’t live for yourselves, but instead live for the Kingdom of God. Rise up and become great men and women of God. Raise your children differently than the generation before us has done. We can change the fact that America, and Swaziland, are known as the nations of the fatherless.
