Searching for a Father’s Love (continued)

Inattentive mothers are one reason that kids get involved in premarital sex, and they undoubtedly have a damaging effect on their children. But I think that we men must shoulder much of the blame for our teens being where they are. When we come home tired, it is easy to neglect our children. What we men need to realize is how important it is to our children that we have a close, loving relationship with them. Mothers can’t do the job of loving our children alone.

I held a one-week youth conference at the largest (and one of the wealthiest) evangelical churches in our country. I had counseling appointments with forty-two junior and senior high school students. Their number one question was, “Josh, what can I do about my dad?” When I asked what they meant, they made statements like, “He never has time for me”; “He never takes me anywhere”; “He never talks to me”; “He never does anything with me.” I asked all forty-two of them, “Can you talk with your father?” Only one said yes. I also asked all the girls, “If you got pregnant, could you go right to your father and share this with him?” Most of them didn’t feel they could. That’s heartbreaking, isn’t it?