God’s design for the Christian family is that the man is to be the spiritual head of the house. The headship of the house belongs only to the man; and his wife is to submit to him (Eph 5:22-24). As such, the spirituality of the house is very much dependent on the spirituality of the man. The Christian man is held responsible for the spirituality of every member of his family (his wife and his children), thus he must make sure that their spirituality, especially his children, will grow and increase through the constant studying and obedience of God’s Word and living a life of holiness. With regard to the man’s role as father, he must:

Children are born sinners, not saints or angels. Therefore, it is in their nature to disobey their parents. This is why God had to give a commandment for children to obey their parents. Fathers must know this and must then focus on building up their children’s character to be Christ-like. They must place more emphasis on their children’s spiritual wellbeing, by teaching them the Word of God, than ensuring that they have the best secular education in this world, so that they can have a successful career in future. It is only when children are taught the Word of God and are in Christ that they will know how to obey God and their parents.

Children are to honour their father and mother. They must always respect their parents despite their parents’ shortcomings. This can only happen when they have Christ in their lives. Fathers must know that their children need Christ in their lives and must instill the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ in them from a young age, and also to pray for their salvation.

The Christian father’s mission is not just to provide for his family’s physical needs, eg: food, housing; but, more importantly, they must make sure that they bring their children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Fathers must never succumb to any stress that they might have from work or other areas of their lives, causing them to vent their anger and frustrations on their children. They must walk close to God so that they may be more patient and longsuffering when dealing with their children. Fathers must plan and work out the necessary steps required to help their children grow in the Lord and in holiness. Fathers must also live a holy life themselves, seeking God so that they can be good examples for their children to follow.