What is the Job Description?

There are some roles in this thing called life that have become so convoluted that we don’t have a real job description for them anymore. For example, what is a father? There are so few two parent homes in many of our communities today that it is difficult to send out a job description. Even when there are two parents, that does not guarantee that the father understands what is role is, or that he is willing to do it.

This is not a new phenomenon. Paul addressed this issue during his time on earth:

16I’m not writing all this as a neighborhood scold to shame you. I’m writing as a father to you, my children. I love you and want you to growup well, not spoiled. There are a lot of people around who can’t wait to tell you what you’ve done wrong, but there aren’t many fathers willing to take the time and effort to help you growup. It was as Jesus helped me proclaim God’s Message to you that I became your father. I’m not, you know, asking you to do anything I’m not already doing myself. ! Corinthians 4:16 (MSG)

We find here that Paul was really explaining what the role of a father is as he expounded to the Corinthian church. A desire to see them grow up well, not self-centered was one of his primary objectives. We also see that the job of the parent is not to shame the child, rather to exert the kind of effort that teaches a child, that is understanding and patient, just as Jesus is with all of us; not wanting anyone to be left behind, rather having a desire that we all make it into God’s Kingdom. A third point is that Paul led by example, not with the attitude, “don’t do as I say do, do as I do!” There are a lot of people out there who are willing to give you a “to do” list – but few that will walk alongside you and show you the wy.

This kind of instruction serves as a blueprint that Fathers (and Mothers) can follow to assist our children into growing into healthy and whole believers, not wanting to be served, but to serve. Not wanting to be in charge of someone else, or even themselves, but to walk under the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. This kind of father comes form one who is under the tutelage of the Father of us all – our Father in heaven; who has embraced the finished work of Christ and has the Holy Spirit as their tutor, teaching them what they need to know as they go.

I pray for a posting of this job description, a posting that will extends beyond the bulletin board into the hearts of men everywhere:

¹⁶ And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.

¹⁷ And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. Luke 1; 16-17 (KJV)

This ia the deepest prayer of my heart.

Maria