Letters to our Father's

My heart is heavy as I write these words and I will tell you why. The reason my heart is heavy is that men do not know their true identity. First, let me state what the word of God says about the man. In the book of Genesis chapter 2 verses 15-20, it reads.
“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die. The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam, no suitable helper was found. ”
The first thing you must know that as a man I urge to be in the presence of God consistently. When God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden, it was a place where the presence of God dwelled. The next thing I recommend that you pay attention to are the instructions that God gave the man. God not only place Adam in the garden but told Adam to work the garden and take care of it. Are you working? Do you have a job? Also, I urge to pay close attention to see who God is talking to this whole time in these verses. God is talking to Adam no one else; there was no Eve yet. God gave the man (Adam) the instructions, not the woman (Eve). As a man, it is part of your identity to be a man that dwells in the presence of God, a working man and a man that can hear from God and obey God. Continuing further in the book of Genesis Chapter 2 verse 21-22 it reads. “So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.”
The first thing that I want to acknowledge is this; the woman did not come from the dirt the woman was made from the rib of a man. I don’t know if you can catch the revelation of whatever you produce you sustain. You can find more about the concept of sustaining what you produce on a previous letter titled “A Letter to an Absent Father.” The revelation I wish for you to see is that if a woman comes from the rib of a man isn’t it his job to sustain her if a man was made in the image and likeness of God?, whatever God produce he protects, maintains, provides, guides and cultivate.
It is my deepest desire that you know your true Identity so that you can be the Father that God created you to be. The thing you must realize is that you are a Father although you have no children. You see Adam was all these things before he became a natural father. Your job as a man is to protect, provide, guide and cultivate whatever you produce be it a wife or children. We often hear the term Motherland when we refer to going home, but I beg to differ because The Father carries the seed, not the Mother. The Mother incubates the seed and births what is given. So when we use the term Motherland are we saying that it is a seedless land? The man carriers the identity that is why today we carry the males last name in marriage and also with the birth of a child. My prayer is for the men in this world to discover their true identity so that foundational fathers can be birthed to carry on the legacy of the Kingdom of God.

As I write this letter to you, I want you to know that this is not just a letter but a gift that I am giving to you. The gift that I am giving is the gift of encouragement, empowerment, and enlightenment. Also, there is something else that I must share with you, and that is the storm that you have endured or the storm that you are currently going through, God already has a plan for it, and I know the answer. The answer is called change. Now, allow me to introduce you to this change. In the book of Romans chapter 12 verse 2 it reads. “And be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” This particular verse is telling us to change the way we think. This verse is also telling us to change the way that we view things because when we do, we will be able to do the things that God has purposed for us to do. I know you have questions just like I did. What is this good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God? You can find the answer in John Chapter 3 verse 16-17, and it reads “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” This verse is the good, acceptable and perfect will of God. John chapter 3 verse 16-17 is simply saying God loved the systems so much that he gave his son to change the system to reflect the Kingdom of Heaven’s system. Also, God did not send his son Jesus to condemn the system but save the system. God wants us to change the system this is the ultimate purpose. What does it mean to change the system? It means the laws that govern us, like for example when segregation was a law but was it right? Just because something is a law, it doesn’t make it right. Also, the banks that own us, and the culture that tries to define us. Put on the culture of the Kingdom of God and learn from this system. As a Father, you have a tremendous responsibility. It is the time, to take on this responsibility of raising children that can have a positive impact on the world. The current state that we are in is not a good place. I write this letter because I want my children to know two things the REAL purpose of the believer and always to strive to be a leader who initiates and implements change.

The first thing you must know when a man is confused everyone around him is confused. It is so important that you know your gift. The reason you must know your gift is because your gift is your source of significance. In the book of 1 Corinthians chapter 12 verses 4-6, it reads. “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.” You must know that every human was created with a valuable gift from God, but it is up to you to discover and refine the gift that was given by God.
There is something that you need to know, and that is yes, you were born a male, but you must become a man. How do you become this man? Through your work. In the book of Genesis chapter 2 verses 15, it reads. “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”
The key to becoming the man God created you to be is to find your gift and work the gift. What does it mean to work the gift? Working the gift simply means to reveal yourself. Show the world what God had placed down inside of you. The reason you must know your gift is because the women in your life need to know what they are coming to help assist. I know you wish to be respected or want to be seen as significant in your wife and family eyes, your gift gives you this.
I know you are wondering what it is about this fruit. Is the letter about fruit? Yes, this letter is about fruit. What is fruit? Your gift manifesting to its highest potential. Take for an instant an Orange tree. We plant the seed in the right environment so that it can grow properly. Your gift is the seed that you already have inside of you given by God, but you must plant the seed in the right environment, sometimes you need to isolate yourself to develop yourself and learn self-discipline. Then you must water the seed. How do you water your gift? By constantly learning and developing your gift. The Sunshine is needed to help grow the tree. You need people in your life that can be a light to push you to help you. Then there is also a time when you must prune the tree for it to grow even more. There are times you must cut off people, things, and behaviors to grow to your full potential. The last thing I would like for you to know about this process is that it takes patience and time for the fruit to manifest. I have to let you in on a HUGE secret. When you plant a tree, and it brings forth a fruit the market comes to the fruit. In other words, people pay for the fruit that was produced from the seed. Do you see why you must discover your gift? My prayer for you is that you seek God to find your gift so that you can produce much fruit.

There is so much to say about Fathers, but I must be careful because of so many emotions attached to this subject. The emotions are connected not because of hurt but because of the lack of knowledge.  As I write this letter, I want you to know that as a Father you are one powerful man and that your behavior can influence four generations. In the book of Numbers chapter 14 verse 18 it reads. “The Lord is slow to anger and abundant in loving kindness, forgiving wickedness, and transgression; but He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting (avenging) the wickedness and guilt of the Father’s on the children, to the third and fourth generations.” I give you this verse not to alarm you but to enlighten you. I know that perhaps your Father was not present or your Father’s, Father was not involved, but this absent behavior must stop. The reason it must cease is that it is affecting our communities which in turn affects our society and impacts our nation. I know you are wondering how one man can influence a nation. First, you should be aware whatever you produce you sustain. How do you sustain what you produce? You sustain what you produce by being an active Father.

The role of a Father is to protect, provide, cultivate, lead and also is the source and foundation of the family. If you don’t understand, then I challenge you to follow the example of Jesus’ relationship with God the Father. In John chapter 15 verse 9 it reads. “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.” This example teaches me that I learn how to love by the way that my father loves me. This also allows me to see that my self-worth comes from the value that is placed on me from my Father. Another example in the bible I want to emphasize on is when Jesus was being baptized by the John the Baptist. In the book of Matthew chapter 3 verse 17, it reads. “And a voice from heaven said, this is my son, whom I love; with him, I am well pleased.” God was saying I’m proud of you son. These are just small examples of what a father should be.

Now that you understand what the role of a Father is, what do you think happens when the foundation leaves or better yet does not get involved? All of those things move with the Father and is left for the Mother to balance alone. I must let you in on secret women were not built to carry the weight alone, but yet we still do it to the best of our abilities. Upon researching Absent Fathers, I came across some alarming statistics on http://www.fatherhood.org. I was devastated to find that almost half of female single parent homes live below the poverty level due to the absence of the Father in the home. Another alarming statistic was the fact that 279% of individuals without the Father in the home would be more likely to be involved with drugs and carry a gun than people with Father’s in the home. The reason I write these letters is to inform you of your value and worth. I want to dismantle the lie and expose the truth. The presence of a Father means more than you know. It is my prayer that this generation of Fathers would dismantle the dysfunction from previous generations and become men who empower and impact a future generation of foundational Fathers.

I know that you have this vision in mind, this dream that you wish to accomplish. I know that you have this idea that is so big and you are wondering how you will ever get this thing off of the ground. You have a family that needs you and your money to sustain and to keep the family going. You have stressful days at work when you are working so hard to stay ahead, but yet you feel unappreciated because you never get the recognition you deserve. If you would be sincere, you will expose the truth that you feel like giving up at times. You never express this feeling to anyone because you don’t want to complain or better yet you don’t want to take the mask off and expose your vulnerable side. I want to let you know that your vision is stronger than the current pressure that you are facing. You should be aware that pressure is good for you. I would challenge you to look at the current situations that you are facing and keep persevering. I want you to understand that the reason for this pressure in your life is so that God can strip off the things that are not of him and build your character in such a way that it reflects the nature of God. I want to show you in the book of Romans chapter 5 verses 3-4, and it reads. “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” I would be remiss if I didn’t inform you that with vision comes persecution and pressure but if you keep persevering you will succeed. My prayer for you today is that you always remember that it’s not the swift nor the strong but those who endure will succeed.

As I write this letter, I’m thinking of the times when we place more emphasis on the external things than the internal. How we are more consumed about how others see us, which is our reputation, rather than our character, which is who we are when no one is watching.
In the book of Matthew chapter 5 verses 14-16, it reads. “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
The reason I include bible verses when I write is that these are my convictions and I want you to see why we must no longer compromise on the principles of God. The reason we must no longer compromise is that our society and our nation are not in the condition God planned for it to be. God gave us a powerful thing, and that is free will, but my question is what we are doing with this free will? Are we compromising because we have free will? Or are we choosing to stand firm on our convictions?
Matthew chapter 5 verses 14-16 is talking about character. What does light do? Light exposes darkness. Light comes to defend what is right and exposes what is wrong. The purpose of this exposure is not to condemn but rather the hope of a conviction which would lead others to glorify God.
As a parent, you must not compromise on your beliefs. Do you know why you must not compromise? You must not compromise because when you are a parent your life is not all about you anymore, you belong to the children you are raising and your character is protecting them.
There are many children born out of wedlock, and to single parent homes in our society. Many divorces are happening in our nation and community, and this saddens me. It saddens me because we must get back to the principles of God because our families are falling apart due to the lack of character. I did not write this letter to condemn because I have no right. I write this letter to be a light to others and for the next generation.
My prayer for this nation is that we do not compromise on our convictions and become parents who expose the darkness so that our children may see that we are parents with integrity, credibility, and legitimacy.

As I write this letter, I must admit that I was a little reluctant at first, but I acquiesced in my decision. The reason I decided to write is that I know the greatest source of joy and pain is found in Love and Relationships. I write this letter because it is my prayer that we understand what we are doing to each other and to know that God didn’t design us to be this way. God wants us to be successful in every area of our life, and we have to get this right.
There is something I want to share that I read and that is “the key to all interpersonal relationships is the quality of your intrapersonal relationships.” In other words, the way you view yourself, your values, your perceptions, self-worth, self- value, and self-love determine how you will treat others. You must first love yourself so that you can love others. It is imperative that you understand self-love because in the book of Matthew chapter 22 verses 37-39 it reads. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.”
How can you love someone else when you don’t even have self-love? I have to let you in on a secret, did you know that spending time with yourself is a sign of self-love. I’m talking about no television no music just you and your thoughts just enjoying your own company is healthy. The reason I am writing is that unhealthy relationships are affecting our children, homes, community, and societies and we have got to stop.
There are some things that you must know about love. Love is not emotion; love is an act of will. In other words, love is a choice. This is the type of love that we are supposed to have in relationships, the decision to love no matter what. Love is also a debt. Let me show you. In Romans chapter 13 verse 8 it reads. “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.” It’s in the word of God right there for us, but we overlook it. Forgive us Father God. The reason I say Father forgive us because if we can’t get out of the emotions of things, how on earth do you think you will be able to love your enemies. This is why you must know love is an act of will. You have to decide to love your enemies in spite of and yes love is that powerful. The reason I write with so much passion is that I hear people say things like “you handled that better than me” or “ I wouldn’t have done that” and my response is always it was God. God is love people. God created you so. Therefore, you have his love inside of you. You are valuable, you are important, and no human can meet your ego needs only God can. My prayer for you is that you love God then love yourself so that you can successfully love others even your enemies.