FIVE HABITS OF GREAT DADS. part 1
So you want to be a Great Dad?
There are certain things in life that can only be learnt by experience. Being a father is one of such things. You can learn a trade as an apprentice and practice when you have mastered it. You can go to school, train as a lawyer and then set up a practice of your own when you pass the bar. Not so with being a father. In order to learn the art of fathering, you need to be a father first.
Cast your mind back. Back to when you first heard the cry of your firstborn. Back to when the doctor said, “Congratulations. You have a baby boy.” Or girl, as the case may be. I’m sure nothing prepared you for that awesome sense of fatherhood you felt. The pride. The joy. The desire to protect that little one at all cost. Plus the increased sense of responsibility of course! Did you feel inadequate? Like you do not have what it takes to be a father? Did you wonder if you would fail at being a father?
Or... May be at present... You are struggling to cope with the frustration of fathering stubborn and seemingly rebellious teenagers who are trying to venture into this dangerous world without your input. Or you find yourself wondering what will be your new role as a father to your son or daughter who just got married recently...
Being a father is not one of the easiest tasks around. It takes a lot of effort – deliberate effort – to be a great father. Being a father is not something that comes naturally to the majority of us. With the help of the perfect Father, God, I want to show you certain things you can do to make fatherhood easier for you. When you become a father, you are going to be a father for a long time. Even after your children leave home. So why not work at being the best dad you can be?
Here in this part of the world, the womenfolk seem to get all the attention when it comes to parenting. This leaves fathers in the background – irrelevant. This is also largely due to men's lack of rightful sense of fatherly responsibility. This, you will agree with me, does not give a good feeling. A look at families today reveals a dearth of responsible fathers. Mothers are rising up to be the head of their homes. How pathetic! Our society today is in need of fathers who would rise up and raise a generation of strong children. We need men, who would pave the way for a rare breed of children who can look life in the face and not flinch at its many challenges.
There’s a Psalm I would like to show you.
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord. The fruit of the womb is His reward.
LIKE ARROWS IN THE HAND OF A WARRIOR , so are the children of one’s youth. HAPPY is the man who has his quiver full of them.
Psalm 127:3,4
Did you see that word, “happy”? The Bible says that fathers are supposed to be one of the happiest set of people in the world! Unfortunately, I must confess that I don’t see a lot of happy fathers. I used to be an angry, frustrated father. I had to really work on that. Usually, children frustrate fathers. Why so? We lack the patience that is necessary to deal and relate well with our children.
I remember being sent out by my father when he was with his friends. I can't remember him telling me “I love you” or point me out to his friends and exclaim, “That’s my boy”. Looking back, I guess he was not proud of me. How then could he show me off? My mother was the opposite. Rather than send me out when with her friends, my mother would invite me in pleasantly.
THE FIVE HABITS OF A GREAT DAD
The Bible says our children should be like arrows in our HANDS. Our hands are what we use to work at things. Our fingers are the major tools we use to get things done here on earth. God wants you as a father to properly handle your children.
Using the picture of our HANDS WITH FIVE FINGERS , I want to share with you something God showed me, which has helped me and made a better father out of me. I’m going to call it the FIVE HABITS OF GREAT DADS . God gave me these tips as a summary and framework for fathers' functions. I believe it will also help you greatly.
To be continued...
