SHAWN A. AKERS - CHARISMA NEWS
This Father's Day, Sunday, Roland C. Warren has a message to all dads, whether they are dealing with a transgender issue within their own family or that they suspect their child could be headed in that direction.
"You must know that it all comes down to the Great Commandment Jesus talked about in the Bible," said Warren, the former President of the National Fatherhood Initiative and now the President and CEO of Care Net, the nation's largest network of pregnancy resource centers. "And that Great Commandment, found in Mark 12:30-31 is that you shall 'love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"
But, Warren says, children today can't possibly love God and love their neighbor if they don't love themselves. One of the biggest reasons that many youth today are turning to transgenderism is that they do not love themselves. There are many reasons for that, and it all begins in the home and specifically with fathers, whether they are present or absent in the home.
"Basically, transgenderism stems from a rejection of yourself. You don't love yourself or who you are," says Warren, who will host a Father's Day special on the Trinity Broadcast Network this Friday titled "What Good Dads Do" where guests Dr. Tony Evans, former Tennessee Titans wide receiver Chris Sanders, former NFL offensive lineman Ed McGlasson and others will appears as guest and will unpack the things that good dads do to lovingly guide their children in a culture that can be challenging to Christian values.
"Dads must remember that your children are your disciples, and you, as well as them, are called to live out the Great Commandment and to obey it. It's one of the greatest challenges we have today and it leads to the fulfillment of The Great Commission. Fathers need to teach their children how to love God and love their neighbors, but also to love themselves.
"Often, kids have a hole in their soul in the shape of their dad. They are a wounded soul. And eventually that's what leads to all of these social ills like transgenderism, teen pregnancy, poverty, etc. This is the why behind the what. It leads to the breakdown of the family.
"Our biggest challenge today is love. We're challenged with it so much in the public square. Any break down in the parenting process is a violation of the greatest commandment, and that's to love."
But that love and compassion, Warren says, must be intertwined. Otherwise, it simply won't work and you could lose your children quickly in a world they believe will embrace them and accept them if they go in a direction contradictory to the Word of God.
"There has to be a balance between compassion and truth," Warren says. "When you love your kids, you must share the truth, but do it with compassion. Many parents compromise one of those. They will do one and not the other.
"Some say, 'I'm going to love my kid if they are having a problem with gender identity,' but they don't share the truth with their child because they are so afraid that they will offend them and drive them away. The problem there is that you are leaning into compassion but you are not anchoring your teachings with the truth. Compassion is not compassion until you take action, and that's built upon the truth of God's Word.
"On the other hand, you can be a truth-teller without compassion, and that's harsh. Rules without relationship leads to rebellion, and that can lead to all sorts of things, like transgenderism. So, truth without compassion is not loving them. It's like Jesus when He spoke with the rich young ruler. He loved him, but He also shared the truth with compassion. He did that with the woman at the well. And all of that is reflected in the Great Commandment. Our children are also our neighbors, and the Great Commandment applies to the family first."
Roland warns fathers that if they are not honorable with the their children, then they cannot expect their children to respect or honor them.
"One of the bad mistakes Saul made was that he was not honorable, and his behavior made it difficult for his children to honor him," Warren says. "It's hard to honor a father is not honorable. That's why it's up to you to be honorable, and if you are, that will most likely help you steer your children in the right direction—God's direction." 
Shawn A. Akers is the online editor at Charisma Media.
No comments:
Post a Comment