Research studies indicate that the faith of fathers has a significant impact on their children. If fathers are dedicated believers in Christ, their children are more likely to embrace and follow the same faith.
Fathers’ faith
Nancy Pearcey, an evangelical author, presents a 35-year longitudinal study asking how parents pass on their spiritual and religious convictions. The results revealed two significant factors. Firstly, having a close bond with one’s father was found to be even more influential than a close relationship with one’s mother.
When Nancy shared this fact with one of her classes, some of her female students expressed indignation and discontent. Nancy told them, “I’m sorry, but that is a fact. Fathers have influence, whether they want to or not.”
She added, “If fathers are committed Christians, children are more likely to keep the Christian faith. If mothers are committed Christians, it’s a lower number. It still has an impact, but the number is significantly lower.”
Furthermore, the second key finding shows that the relationship with the father must be warm and intimate. Nancy said, “It depends on the warmth and love and closeness of their connection with their children.”
Impact on children
According to her observations, even if the father is a pillar of the church, a moral exemplar, and possesses a perfectly correct theology, if he is perceived as cold and distant by his children, it is unlikely that they will remain in the faith.
She said, “So, it depends more on the quality of the relationship than it does on other factors.”
However, in today’s societal culture, the responsibility of parenting has largely fallen on mothers. Fathers are expected to solely provide, resulting in less time spent in the home and reduced involvement in childcare. Nevertheless, the Bible calls upon both fathers and mothers to nurture, teach, guide, and provide for their children, without assigning a specific gender to the role of parenting.
Therefore, let us join together in prayer today, asking that the church no longer conform to the world’s standards. Instead, let us pray for parents, both mothers and fathers, to embrace and fulfill the divine design that God has bestowed upon them.
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