What I want to focus on, however, are the times when the husband and wife have discussed and agreed on some area of their life or even when the father has taken the stand for a certain course of action and the wife is faithfully carrying out the details of the plan. There may be others outside the family who disagree with the way the family is running its business. They may say things to the wife or even the children about how things are being done. They may gripe or complain, and particularly, when they see the wife putting into practice what the father has approved of as the proper path for the family, those outsiders who do not know the circumstances may blame the mother and say derogatory things to or about her. This is when we fathers need to protect the family, especially our wives. Maybe I am more sensitive to this topic because I was a preacher’s kid and I am a preacher, but just as a good CEO will take the praise that may be given he has to also take the blame; not pass it on down the line.
I have always tried to make it clear that if my children are being disobedient or disrespectful I want to know about it. If they are doing something you don’t think they should be doing let me know. If you think there is a problem with how they are being raised let me know that, too. If you think they are unfairly disciplined, you can tell me about that as well. Don’t talk behind our backs, and don’t go whining to my wife or belittling her. She is doing what I want her to do so talk to me about it. Gentlemen I think most if not all of our wives would greatly appreciate having us step in front of her and the children and take the brunt of the attack since we are the ones who are expecting them to follow us.
I really appreciated one woman’s attitude. She saw me disciplining my daughter for something that she thought was insignificant and said so to me. I explained that what she did not see was the fact that I had just told the child not to do what she was doing. Once I explained, she apologized and said ‘go right ahead I didn’t know that part.’ Regardless, I was going to go right ahead because I did know what was right. The truth is that sometimes others will not respond as this woman did, but will still think you are in the wrong. Remember, we answer to God and not anyone else when it comes to how our children are reared.
Dads, I can’t stress this enough, even in the church if we are diligent in trying to please God with our families it will aggravate some. They may take it out on our families. We must shield them from those unchristian assaults.