Oh To Be a Godly Family Leader!

John Paton was a Scottish missionary to the natives of the New Hebrides islands in the South Pacific. He faithfully preached to the cannibal islanders despite receiving frequent death threats. The Lord mightily used Paton to convert many islanders as well as to influence other godly men to become missionaries in the South Pacific. 

Although Paton faced enormous difficulties and sorrows, he persevered out of love for Christ. One way that God prepared Paton for his work was through the example of his godly father, James Paton. 

James Paton worked in a shop in the family home in Scotland. James’s children remembered his fervent prayers for them before the throne of grace. He used a small room in the house as a prayer closet, and his regular visits to it deeply affected his son. John later wrote,

“Thither daily, and oftentimes a day, generally after each meal, we saw our father retire, and ‘shut the door’; and we children got to understand ... that prayers were being poured out there for us, as of old by the High Priest within the veil in the Most High Place.”

When John Paton left his home to study theology in Glasgow, his father walked with him the first six of the forty miles to the nearest train station. As they walked, they spoke sweetly about the Lord, and James gave godly counsel to his son. They walked without a word for the last half mile, but James’s lips moved silently in prayer for his son while tears streamed down his face. When they parted, James grasped his son, saying, “God bless you, my son! May your father’s God prosper you and keep you from all evil.” He was so overcome with emotion that he could say no more, but his lips continued moving in prayer. John Paton later wrote that as he walked the rest of the distance, he “vowed deeply and oft, by the help of God, to live and act so as never to grieve or dishonor such a father and mother as He had given [him].”

Oh to be a godly family leader like James Paton! As Christian husbands and fathers, we long to impart spiritual good to our children, but how can we accomplish our noble calling when we are so foolish, weak, and sinful? We can fulfill our duty only by walking in the anointing of Jesus Christ.

Privilege and Responsibility

Godly husbands and fathers are at the center of biblically ordered families, biblically ordered families are vital to the health of the church, and the church is the beachhead of God’s kingdom and both the salt and light of the broader society. If you are a husband or father, you have both the duty and the delight of leading your home. If the Lord has given you a wife, she is a gift from the hands of your heavenly Father (Prov. 18:22); likewise, if you have children, they are a great gift from the Lord (Ps. 127:3). As a Christian man, your family is one of God’s greatest gifts to you. Yet your leadership involves not only privilege but also responsibility. Leading your family is an act of stewardship. On the day of judgment, you will give an account to God for your domestic leadership.