Good Fathers
As we are ready to once again celebrate God’s gift of fathers, here is some advice to you whom God has blessed to be called “Dad” or “Daddy.”
Good fathers discipline in love
Women love emotional sharing. Sometimes their husbands drive them crazy because they just don’t seem t o feel anything or want to talk about things of the heart. But, ladies, there is a huge upside here. Men can discipline without melting emotionally. They can insist on right behavior even when the kids think they are too cool, too busy, or too smart to have to endure this clearly unnecessary hardship.
Happy is the family where there is a man who knows how to show tough love. God’s view? “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it (Hebrews 12:11 ).”
Because God made males less emotionally vulnerable, they can better ignore the squawking and woofing that always erupts from immature youth and not take it personally or cave. We’ve all seen kids throw tantrums at the check-out line at the store. Don’t you feel for the parent? So, isn’t it a pleasure to be with children whose dad has spent the energy and time to discipline them when they were young? Paging all dads–your family needs your loving discipline!
Good fathers show their children how to work
There were men in the early Christian church who were setting a poor example by their laziness and excuses.St. Paul 4:11 ).”
Employers love employees with a strong work ethic. So do wives. And children desperately need to see a man in action in their lives who earns his bread, keeps his word, does good work, takes pride in his home, and knows how to finish a job.
Good fathers are strong, but not abusive
Have you noticed that all of life is a balancing act? Foolish people can overdo even good and virtuous things, things like eating, working, saving money, and exercising.
Are you a fan of reality TV? You might have seen some shows where nannies have to straighten out clueless parents who don’t know how to parent. Bad fathers are always easy targets. It seems as though TV dads are either spineless softies or stubborn tyrants. There are precious few Bill Cosbys on the air whom we can admire.
Dads, God’s goal for your role is the middle way–strong, but not abusive. His word says, “Fathers, do not embitter your children or they will become discouraged (Colossians3:21 ).” Wives and kids absolutely need your strength so that they can feel secure and experience some sense of order. But they also need Dad to show that it’s okay to change your mind, apologize, and be tender. Does that make sense? You can be like that. Your family needs you to be like that.
Women love emotional sharing. Sometimes their husbands drive them crazy because they just don’t seem t o feel anything or want to talk about things of the heart. But, ladies, there is a huge upside here. Men can discipline without melting emotionally. They can insist on right behavior even when the kids think they are too cool, too busy, or too smart to have to endure this clearly unnecessary hardship.
Because God made males less emotionally vulnerable, they can better ignore the squawking and woofing that always erupts from immature youth and not take it personally or cave. We’ve all seen kids throw tantrums at the check-out line at the store. Don’t you feel for the parent? So, isn’t it a pleasure to be with children whose dad has spent the energy and time to discipline them when they were young? Paging all dads–your family needs your loving discipline!
Good fathers show their children how to work
There were men in the early Christian church who were setting a poor example by their laziness and excuses.
Employers love employees with a strong work ethic. So do wives. And children desperately need to see a man in action in their lives who earns his bread, keeps his word, does good work, takes pride in his home, and knows how to finish a job.
Good fathers are strong, but not abusive
Have you noticed that all of life is a balancing act? Foolish people can overdo even good and virtuous things, things like eating, working, saving money, and exercising.
Are you a fan of reality TV? You might have seen some shows where nannies have to straighten out clueless parents who don’t know how to parent. Bad fathers are always easy targets. It seems as though TV dads are either spineless softies or stubborn tyrants. There are precious few Bill Cosbys on the air whom we can admire.
Dads, God’s goal for your role is the middle way–strong, but not abusive. His word says, “Fathers, do not embitter your children or they will become discouraged (Colossians
Dedicated to my father,
Pastor Michael Zarling
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