{"id":16751,"date":"2025-06-09T16:50:35","date_gmt":"2025-06-09T16:50:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/?p=16751"},"modified":"2025-06-09T16:59:27","modified_gmt":"2025-06-09T16:59:27","slug":"fathers-day-honoring-men-who-reflect-our-heavenly-father","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/?p=16751","title":{"rendered":"Father\u2019s Day: Honoring Men Who Reflect Our Heavenly Father"},"content":{"rendered":"

This post originally appeared at https:\/\/wifamilycouncil.org\/radio\/fathers-day-honoring-men-who-reflect-our-heavenly-father\/<\/a><\/p>\n

2025 | Week of June 9 | Radio Transcript #1622<\/h3>\n

Each June, Father\u2019s Day reminds us of the profound importance of dads\u2014not just in our personal lives, but in the health and stability of our entire society. Father\u2019s Day should prompt us to reflect deeply on the indispensable role of fathers in God\u2019s design for the family\u2014and what we lose when that role is diminished or dismissed.<\/p>\n

For me, Father\u2019s Day brings cherished memories of my own dad, Bob Appling\u2014a man who wasn\u2019t perfect, but who was present, principled, and profoundly influential in my life. He was my adopted father; I\u2019ve never found or even looked for by biological father in part because God in His great grace and providence gave me exactly the father I needed in Bob Appling.<\/p>\n

Dad and I were both Type A\u2019s; so we clashed. In my memory, he won those clashes far more often than I did\u2014to his credit. Even in our clashes, I knew he loved me and wanted God\u2019s best for me. Dad held me to some very high standards\u2014in part because he honestly believed I could always do better at whatever I was doing\u2014but also because he wanted to instill in me important character traits. Dad taught me by example and word what it means to live with integrity, to work hard, and to honor God in the everyday choices of life. While imperfect, Dad really did want a strong family that truly lived the biblical faith we espoused.<\/p>\n

At Wisconsin Family Council, we constantly advocate for God\u2019s design for marriage and family because we know strong families don\u2019t happen by accident\u2014they happen when fathers and mothers alike embrace their God-given roles. Fathers in particular are uniquely called to lead their families spiritually, emotionally, and physically. That isn\u2019t cultural tradition; it\u2019s biblical truth.<\/p>\n

The absence of fathers has become one of the most pressing social challenges of our time. Nationally, one in four children lives in a home without a biological, step, or adoptive father. Higher rates of poverty, educational failure, behavioral problems, and emotional instability and more all follow when a father is missing. This is not just a personal problem\u2014it\u2019s a generational one.<\/p>\n

Yet, too often, our culture has bought into the lie that fathers are optional\u2014or worse, expendable. But God\u2019s Word tells a different story. In the Scriptures, the role of a father is noble and vital. In Ephesians 6:4, Paul writes, \u201cFathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.\u201d That command is both tender and strong.<\/p>\n

My dad took his responsibility seriously to provide, to protect, and to be present. While his work demanded long hours, I vividly remember his running into basketball games just in time to watch me take the initial tip. He was present even when it meant sacrifice. He worked hard so that my mother, brother, and I had what we needed, and I never once doubted that he would do whatever it took to care for us.<\/p>\n

Wisconsin has no shortage of children who are growing up without that kind of fatherly presence. The ripple effects are heartbreaking. We\u2019ve seen them in our classrooms, our juvenile courts, and our social services. But we\u2019ve also seen what can happen when men answer the call to biblical fatherhood. We’ve watched them re-engage with their families, commit to their marriages, and start building a legacy of faithfulness.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why this Father\u2019s Day, I\u2019m not just thinking about my dad. I\u2019m praying for the godly fathers in my church, for the single dads working double shifts to provide, for the stepdads stepping in with grace, for the grandfathers filling a gap, and for the spiritual fathers mentoring the next generation of men.<\/p>\n

We need to do more than thank fathers\u2014we need to honor them with real, cultural affirmation of their irreplaceable role. Churches, communities, and policymakers should all be focused on restoring and reinforcing fatherhood. We need to equip and encourage dads, not just on Father\u2019s Day, but every day of the year.<\/p>\n

God, in His perfect wisdom, chose to reveal Himself as a Father. Not because He is like human fathers, but because the best human fathers are a reflection of Him. This Father\u2019s Day, may we recommit to honoring and restoring fatherhood in Wisconsin\u2014not just because it\u2019s good policy, but because it\u2019s God\u2019s design. Happy Father\u2019s Day to all the dads who reflect the heart of our Heavenly Father. Your impact matters more than you will ever know.<\/p>\n

For Wisconsin Family Council, this is Julaine Appling, reminding you that God, through the Prophet Hosea, said, \u201cMy people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.\u201d<\/p>\n

Learn more at WIFamilyCouncil.org<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This post originally appeared at https:\/\/wifamilycouncil.org\/radio\/fathers-day-honoring-men-who-reflect-our-heavenly-father\/ 2025 | Week of June 9 | Radio Transcript…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":313,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16751","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wfc"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16751","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/27"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16751"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16751\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16752,"href":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16751\/revisions\/16752"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/313"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16751"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16751"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16751"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}