Fathers and mothers are the foundation of the family, with each providing a unique presence and energy needed for the home to thrive. And things quickly begin to breakdown when either is overextended or they’re unable to live in harmony with each other.
Generally speaking, fathers provide order and direction to the family while also stressing the importance of personal responsibility. And, on the other hand, mothers tend to provide more nurturing and care while emphasizing unconditional acceptance.
When overextended, or operating from immaturity or sin, fathers can become demanding and critical. In their zeal for right living they might miss the heart of their children – leaving them feeling lonely, defeated, and unworthy.
And the dark side of motherhood becomes smothering and enabling. They might feel the need to be constantly present in every aspect of their child’s life and take care of any perceived needs that might arise. There might also be a tendency to overlook problematic behaviors as to not threaten the child’s sense of acceptance. While providing a safe place for the child, the child is left unprepared and ineffective in navigating the often harsh realities of life.
Ideally, fathers and mothers work together to provide their children the best of each of their respective gifts, while also providing a needed counterbalance to each other.
Many deep soul wounds are the result without both a positive father and mother presence in our lives.
And this plays out in many areas outside of the home as well.
For instance, many churches, political parties, and countries also tend to lean either more toward the father or the mother archetype. And many of the pros and cons of each get played out now on a much larger scale.
In fact, many of our cultural wars might be traced back to “mom and dad” fighting with each other – yet another reminder that building better communities starts at home.
Honor the role of fathers and mothers throughout your life and relationships. We need the wisdom of both in order to thrive.
