November 30,1996
Dear Br. Mitchell:
As part of the ministry of Homeward-Bound Family Services, I write short, inspirational letters to men, in an endeavor to encourage them to be all that God intended in our families, in the church, at work and in the community. Any man who comes to my notice is apt to receive a letter from me. As you and you wife spend your Sabbaths visiting shut-in’s with the ministry of music, so I spend my Sabbaths writing to men. Just because I address a particular topic in this or another letter, does not indicate any special knowledge on my part that you may actually have this problem or one related to it. Rather, I speak to men in general terms and to you in particular that each of us may be encouraged to witness for the Lord wherever He places us.
When I consider the responsibilities that God has entrusted to
men, one of the first things that comes to mind is our obligations
and responsibilities as spiritual leaders of our families. God
has entrusted the family leadership role to men for the primary
task of inculcating in our wives and children a love for and appreciation
of Christ and his work of atonement.
As in the ancient Jewish services, and in New Testament times,
men were priests or spiritual leaders of the family, exercising
this function by leading in morning and evening prayers and songs
of praise to the Lord, so men, today, should follow their example.
When a man kneels in his family, in front of his wife and children,
and leads them in prayer, it has a profound impact. A man who
understands his responsibility and accepts, with pleasure, this
burden, can be trusted by the Lord to lead His flock to the cross.
A father of little children should confess the sins of his children,
those which have come to his notice throughout the day and those
known only by the child and God. Thus, children are taught to
reverence the Savior and develop a finer sense of the sinfulness
of sin. As they see and hear their own father confessing his sins
and theirs, they develop a genuine appreciation for Christ as
their Savior and Judge.
The father should never be slow to praise the Lord through song.
In the privacy of the home, where no one but the family, the angels
and God can hear, he may raise his voice in blessing and praise
to the Lord. After all, David said to make a joyful noise unto
the lord, not necessarily a harmonious noise. We can all learn
to sing, even if we don’t have nice voices. Fathers should
learn the little songs of children, songs we learned when small
but have since forgotten. Such songs as “Jesus Loves Me”
and “Brighten the Corner Where You Are” can be song
effectively. The children respond with cheerful inharmonious songs
of their own and our voices blend with theirs in a melody of which
God can approve.
The spiritual leadership of our families is so important that
it dwarfs all other responsibilities that God has given us. It
is probably a fair estimate that fewer then one in a thousand
men understand this religious leadership role and fewer still
practice it on a daily basis. This is unfortunate for we fail
of realizing one of life’s greater blessings by not sharing
the moment of prayer and song with our families; but the time
is not too late. We can all resolve to redeem the opportunity
by beginning today to pray and sing with our families, although
it may take some time before they feel free to participate, if
we have neglected this function in the past. However, let us not
rise from our knees to confront our children and wives with hasty
words of censure or complaint. What we practice on our knees must
be practiced on our feet. If our families see us praying one moment
and the next condemning or belittling, then it would be better
that we did not pray at all, for our negative influence may be
the means Satan uses to lead our children to destruction. It is
a fearful responsibility to be a man in God’s kingdom. Much
good can be accomplished by a God fearing man as well as much
harm, if we fail to live up to his standards of holiness.
God loves to hear men in humble petitions for grace to lead their
families wisely, be they ever so small, to the throne of grace,
and for courage and wisdom to accept this guidance. We must bear
in mind Paul’s injunction, “But I keep under my body,
and bring it into subjection: least by any means, when I have
preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” 1 Corinthians
9:27
Br. Sam, be all that you can be for the Lord. He loves you with
an infinite compassion. Higher then our highest thought is God’s
ideal for us. May the Lord bless you with a good voice and a willing
heart. Your brother in Christ.
Allen A. Benson