A Fatherless Generation
“And He will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers…”
-Malachi 4:6
We live in the most fatherless generation of all time. Fathers have turned their backs on their wives and children and are leaving to never return.
It’s time to change the narrative of the modern family and fulfill the Malachi 4:6 mandate God has set out before us. How can we be a catalyst for change in this world?
What is fatherlessness?
Fatherlessness refers to the absence or lack of involvement of a father figure in a person’s life. Fatherlessness isn’t just physical absence. It can also be emotional and mental disengagement.
The presence of a father is priceless and is a crucial factor in a child’s life. Fathers are the parent that supply identity to their children. Without fathers present, children grow up wondering who they are and end up looking for their identity in all the wrong places.
What are the statistics?
Growing up fatherless has many negative ramifications on a person. Here are some startling statistics.
85% of youths in prison come from fatherless homes
71% of high school dropouts come from fatherless homes
90% of all homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes
Nearly 25 million children live without their biological father
60% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes
85% of all rapists motivated by displaced anger are from fatherless homes.
What can we do?
When it comes to fatherlessness, love is key. Love has the power to transform. We need to ask God to give us His heart for this generation. Ask Him what He sees and what His vision is for His children.
We must empower the men and women of this generation to think differently. Where they’ve come from is not who they are. Their past does not determine their future. The cycles their families have operated in for generations can end with them.
It’s time to step out of the 4 walls of our churches and reach our communities. We as the Church carry the solution for a broken society. Ask God ways you can impact your community and make it better. Ask Him to give you strategies for cultural transformation.
With the power of the Holy Spirit living inside of us, we can point people to the Father and we owe them an encounter with Him