Winneba: Venerable Father Aaron Moses Kwamena Eduah, the Parish Priest/Archdeacon of Saint John the Divine Anglican Church of Winneba, has cautioned women who continuously pollute their children against their fathers to stop the practice. He said psychologically, a father must contribute significantly to the emotional development, confidence, identity, and stability of a child, and raise disciplined children who were self-sacrificing and productive in society.
According to Ghana News Agency, Ven Father Eduah, who sounded the caution, consequently asked women to allow fathers to discipline their wards and ensure that they discovered their values, purpose, destiny, and good relationships in life. Fathers are to guide, protect, and bless their children to mature well. He was delivering a sermon on the topic: 'As a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him,' and identified the lack of effective fatherhood as the bane of society.
He stressed that society suffered when fathers abandon their children and their divine roles, hence the need for them to raise their children with care and love. He quoted Malachi 4:5-6 in which Prophet Elijah revealed how God would turn the hearts of fathers to their children and children to their fathers before the coming of the great and dreadful day. Physiologically, a father is a source of wisdom, direction, and a stabilizing force within the family and society, contributing to stable homes.
God, therefore, expects fathers to take up the highest responsibility entrusted to them for families to flourish and nations to thrive. A good father does not merely produce children biologically but provides spiritual, emotional, intellectual, and practical leadership for his family, Ven Father Eduah said. 'So, theologically, a father is God's representative in family structure, entrusted with the responsibility to nurture, guide, protect, discipline, and bless his children according to his purpose.'
He stated that it was the responsibility of fathers to bless their children as Abraham blessed Joseph, Joseph blessed Isaac, and Isaac blessed Jacob. According to him, an authentic father reflected God's character, true love, leadership, sacrifice, discipline, protection, provision, and spiritual guidance, hence the need to be focused. He urged: 'We must not joke with our fathers because they are our trainers, transforming communities for future generations.'
'As fathers, we must also be responsible in all our endeavours and train our children in the way they should go, in order that when they grow, they will not depart from it,' (Proverbs 22:6).