One could immediately respond, �well we know that boys grow into men.� We also know that a male must be involved in conception. But studies today continue to reveal that healthy men come from men. When young men are raised without male role models too often they do not develop as they should. Newsweek has a cover article entitled �The Trouble with Boys.� The lengthy article moves toward a conclusion with the following observation. �One of the most reliable predictors of whether a boy will succeed or fail in high school rests on a single question: does he have a man in his life to look up to? � High rates of divorce and single motherhood have created a generation of fatherless boys. In every kind of neighborhood, rich or poor, an increasing number of boys�now a startling 40 percent�are being raised without their biological dads.
God�s plan has always been for a man and woman to marry before having sex. Fornication is a sinful practice that leads to fatherless children. It is glorified in locker rooms, theaters, and bedrooms, but it is a disgusting sin against one�s own body, society, and God ( 1 Corinthians 6:15-20). If fornication ceased today, no more fatherless babies would be born, except through the death of the father.
Divorce accomplishes at least what one parent wants, but not what the children need. Children need a mother and a father. During the strong discussion condemning divorce in Malachi 2:15 God reveals that it should be avoided to �seek godly offspring.� One can overcome their parent�s divorce and live faithfully to God, but they will have to do just that - �overcome the divorce.� Divorce is a huge stumbling block for children.
Boys need a father to � bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord� ( Ephesians 6:4). Fathers need to �bring up� boys by setting boundaries and consistently enforcing them. Fathers are to show and involve their sons in work, problem solving, dealing with disappointments and success. Fathers need to show boys how godly men treat women, family members, and even enemies. Godly fathers teach sons that life isn�t easy, fair or predictable, but godly men will faithfully persevere. They know because they have seen their father do it. Men, let�s raise boys into men�strong, convicted, compassionate, disciplined� like Jesus. Words cannot describe all that mothers do for their boys. Mothers are golden jewels in our life, but all that God designed for mothers isn�t greater than what God designed for fathers. Both are necessary in God�s plan. Let�s grow boys into men.