THE WORD FOR TODAY. MONDAY 18 JUNE, 2018. FATHER (3)

‘My son, if your heart is wise, My heart will rejoice.’ Proverbs 23:15 NKJV

FATHERLESS CHILDREN are 100 to 200 percent more likely to experience emotional and behavioral problems…twice as likely to use drugs and alcohol…more likely to become sexually active at an early age…and three times more likely to commit violent crime. Over 50 percent of teens who attempt suicide live in single-parent homes. Most runaways leave fatherless homes, and boys without fathers are 300 percent more likely to end up incarcerated. Seventy percent of juveniles in long-term correctional facilities grew up without a father. Fatherless daughters are 53 percent more likely to marry in their teens, and 164 percent more likely to have children outside of marriage. Fatherless daughters who marry have a 92 percent higher divorce rate, and fatherless sons are 35 percent more likely to experience marital failure. Eighty percent of teenagers admitted to psychiatric hospitals come from fatherless homes, and are 50 percent more likely to grapple with learning disabilities. They fare worse in school, and are three times more likely to drop out than kids who grew up in a home with a father. And it’s possible to be physically present, yet emotionally absent. In a recent poll, 50 percent of fathers said they feel guilty about spending too little time with their children. According to the Family Research Council, the average dad spends eight minutes a day in direct conversation with his kids. And in families where the mom works outside the home it drops to four minutes. If you find these statistics shocking, wake up and do something about it!

Bible In A Year: Ezek. 37:1 - 40:9, Luke 1:11-25, Ps. 73:1-16, Pro. 15:18-21