Fatherhood is NOT what you would think. You expect the coming of the Messiah to be surrounded with messages of repentance, preaching, salvation and more. And that is definitely the case. But fatherhood?

Malachi says the predecessor of the Messiah, the John the Baptist figure, would come and one of his goals was to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the children to the fathers.

Note: It’s not the hearts of the fathers to the sons and sons to the fathers as is in many places in the world. But to children. Both children. Sons and daughters.

Something changes in a family and in a nation when fathers are intentional about investing into their children. This means living intentional with their time, their attention, their focus and their love. The role of a father isn’t just enforcing obedience, but that his heart would turn to his children.

If there is one thing today that is lacking in the world it is fatherhood. Young men are not growing up knowing how to be men, or even affirmed as men. They are often boys trapped in men’s bodies.

The same is true with women. They are growing up not knowing what a good, kind, strong and loving man looks like. In search of that male love, they compromise themselves and invite a world of troubles. It is not a short term consequence either.

I once told an African friend of mine who was very intentional about loving his children what a good father he was to his kids. His response is something I’ve remembered to this day. He said this:

We’ll see in 25 years if what you say is true.

He spoke well. The test isn’t in the moment. The test is what kind of father a man is for the duration.

Fatherhood done right is one of the most stabilizing factors in a human soul. It not only affects the children, but it affects nations. Especially when there is a critical mass of fathers being intentional with their hearts turned to their children.

It is not a small thing that the Lord says the times of His coming are about turning the hearts of fathers to children and hearts of children to fathers. It is the restoration of the family. And the restoration of nations. In fact, it is the picture of the father heart of God.