Amos Fenwa, general overseer of Holy Ghost Christian Centre, Matori, Lagos, has called on Nigerian men to be visionary fathers, saying the country seriously needs men of vision to lead the country.
Fenwa stated this during the 2019 Father’s Day celebration themed, ‘The Visionary Father’. Quoting from the book of 1 Corinthians 11:1; “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ,” he said fathers must be a visionary father.
“God put your eyes on the head so as to see ahead. You have to determine the kind of life you want to live with your family. He enjoined the men folk to be good example,” he said.
“Teach your children how to pray. Teach them good values to have. Spend time with your family. Money is not as important as the time you create for your children and wife. Attend important events in their life. Women have more capacity to adapt to new environments than men. That’s why they leave their comfort zones to start a new home in the husband’s family,” he further said.
He also urged men to mentor and direct their children to build confidence and self-esteem.
According to Fenwa, men should inspire hope in their children, so they can achieve great things in life. “A mentor draws from his own experience to guide the children. You can have an open day when you sit down with your family to discuss as equals. Add a good motivation. Be visionary. You must see the future ahead. Be a planner.
“Define the spiritual life of your children. Do they go to church? Follow them up. Introduce them to family fasting. Give toddlers offering money while in the church,” Fenwa said.
Advising the men on how to relate with their families, he said, “You must love the mother of your children unconditionally. You must listen more. Listen to both the children and your wife. Seek to give opportunity to your children to have a say in the affairs of the family. Let them have the sense of belonging. Carry your wife along too in important decisions,” he said, urging men to express words of appreciation and commendation to their children when they do well.
Zebulon Agomuo
