Women of Reverence welcomes Kenneth Le Roux as blogger for our Fathers Day Month.
Kenneth Le Roux serves on the New Covenant Ministries International (NCMI) trans-local, ministry team, that is comprised of men and women who, through partnership with the Team, help leaders build their local churches in their areas.
Kenneth has a diploma in Theology and is married to Maureen. Together they have been in ministry since the late 1980’s, leading 2 churches and releasing leaders to church plant. They are currently based in a church in Johannesburg, Gauteng and travel extensively to Canada, Australia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Zambia and Botswana, actively working in partnership with churches in these Nations as well as various churches in South Africa.
I grew up in a typical Afrikaans household where the father was the ultimate authority so my relationship with my dad was based on pleasing him and obeying him to win his approval.
I was in my late twenties and married for three years before I met Father God and it took many years for me to accept His unconditional love and to realise that His love and approval was not based on my behaviour towards Him. I did not have to try and win His love and approval – it was unconditional!
When I received this truth as a revelation in my heart, I was able to understand what it meant to be a natural father to my two sons, and it changed my relationship with them. When I look around, I see many people having the same difficulty in relating to GOD as Father.
Father GOD does many things to reveal Himself to us as a Father.
He does this to demonstrate His nature and when we experience them, we come to know and understand Him as a loving Father.
Through my relationship with GOD, I learn who I am, which leads me to become more like Him through what I say and do. In doing this I hope to leave a Godly legacy that does beyond my generation.
Just as FATHER GOD reveals Himself in who He is and what He does, we who are made in His Image must know who we are in Christ Jesus and that we are created to do works, which GOD prepared for us in advance in Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 2:10 (ESV) For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Amongst many scriptures, these three have influenced me in my relationship with Father God. Jesus himself, uses these phrases:
• “I am…” John 6:35 = Identity = Who I am in Christ?
• “I came to…” Matthew 5:17 = Purpose = What am here for?
• “...and I do...” John 8:29 = Action = What I choose to do with who I am in Christ Jesus and the reason I am here on earth
Through these three I am constantly reminded of my identity, my purpose and action I need to take. These three questions form my destiny in Christ Jesus.
• Who I am?
• What am I here for?
• What am I going to do about it?
I have discovered, that being a father is not just about talking.
I can tell my wife and boys I love them, but if don’t do something, not one of them will see the size of my heart in the present situation. (Our hearts are seen by what we do and what we express at a given moment)
Values without action and correct behaviour, is at best religious and unconvincing. As father’s we have the power to touch the hearts of our loved ones by walking our talk. If we love, right here, let us show it and do something to show we love.
Scripture says that Faith and Works go together. The result of me loving with action, opens the way for others to see what is in my heart.
God so loved He sent: GOD is love and out of that He did something. The more I have learned to love and be loved, the more productive and effective I have been in ministry and as a father. Father’s act out of love in the here and now!
Fatherhood is an idea I am familiar with. What I have noticed is that many people project expectations or experiences of what a father should be and have difficulty to embrace God as Father.
• A boy who longs for a dad he never had has a hard time seeing GOD as capable of filling that role.
• A girl who feels she must succeed in sports and school to earn her father’s approval may see her relationship with GOD in a similar way.
• For others, the word father may bring up memories of abuse or neglect.
How tragic that such a beautiful facet of GOD’S character — that HE is not a distant, impersonal ruler, but a warm and welcoming ‘papa’ — is often tainted by the bad examples of human fathers!
I have never wanted the idea of fatherhood to hurt my children’s ability to see GOD as their Father. A loving and intimate Father.
Glimpses of His character
Throughout Scripture, Jesus often illustrates God’s Kingdom by using pictures with seeds and soils, sheep and the shepherd. When Jesus calls God “Father”, we might think this is another metaphor: that GOD, while not being an actual human father, shares some similarities to earthly dads. We should see GOD as an actual, literal father. As I father, I want to have certain remote similarities to GOD as Father. The essence of fatherhood is found in GOD, not in human beings. Just as a photograph can never capture the full experience of something, the pictures we have available to understand GOD are limited by our inherent inability to recognize the depth of His Glory and Goodness. Here are some aspects of God that have helped me paint a picture of GOD as our Father: • Father God is the source of life. As a father I have an important part in contributing to the life of my family. I have tried to help them recognize how Father GOD is the source of all life. Following GOD’S plan is the path to abundant life (John 10:10). When we accept JESUS as our Saviour, we are given new life — adopted into the Father’s family (Romans 6:23). • Father God lovingly corrects us. I learned that as Father God, His discipline and correction are always done out of love. (Hebrews 12:3-11). • Father God provides for our needs. I share with them the ways GOD provides for our needs, which leads us celebrate His Goodness. How much joy Father God receives when we enjoy the good gifts that He provides? (Matthew 7:11). • Father God gives us His wisdom. I have learned life skills from JESUS and encouraged my family to operate in the gifts and talents gives. True wisdom comes from our Heavenly Father. 2 Timothy 3:16-17d) • Father God always welcomes us back – He is forgiving. I have taught my family to forgive people when they mess up, just as Father God forgives us, because He is the ultimate model of forgiveness. We all mess up, but Father God is constantly on watch for our return, running to us with joy when we turn back to His family (Luke 15:11-32). As I look to Father God in Christ Jesus and the leading of the Holy Spirit, I am constantly reminded of my identity, purpose and action. These three are key for us to walk in our destiny as fathers who desire to influence the next generation, as they shape our relationship with Father God. Questions we need to ask ourselves: • Who am I? What is my identity based on? Achievements, success, position, possessions, family or in Jesus Christ and what He has done for me. • What am I here for? What is my purpose in life? • What am I going to do about it? What do I need to change in my life to walk in my purpose?
LOVE
KENNY