Sharing the Joy – The Gift of Fathers

Posted in Parenting/Marriage

“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” (Deuteronomy 6: 6-7)

As Father’s Day approaches, we reflect on the men who helped raise us into the people we are today. My husband was raised by a loving but strict father and thankfully he followed in those footsteps. I now see a correlation between how our kids responded to discipline and the career paths they have chosen for their lives. 

 

Our oldest son’s first response to discipline was typically, “But I didn’t do it!” When that didn’t work, he experimented with placing blame on his innocent siblings. Ultimately, he figured out that if he did something wrong, he had to make it right. His career involves taking electrical components that don’t work, finding what’s wrong, and making it right. 

 

Our daughter was extremely stubborn, even as a toddler. We never raised the white flag of surrender when disciplining her, but even with two against one, she always had us outnumbered. She has chosen a career in beef production, where a typical day involves staring down a 1,500-pound steer and telling him to go left when he’d rather go right. We’re glad she’s stubborn now. 

 

We never really had to discipline our youngest son. He saw enough to get the lay of the land, and it makes sense that he’s chosen to go into wildlife management.    

 

Do you ever think about God as your Father and consider how his love and discipline have shaped you into the person you are? Giving children love is so important, and the Bible is filled with verses of God’s steadfast love for us. When it comes to discipline, God keeps it beautifully simple. If we simply follow his Ten Commandments, we will grow into faithful, kind, and loving people. The next time you need help with parenting, don’t forget that God is our perfect role model for how to parent!

 

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for giving us fathers who love us and guide us through life. Help us remember that you are our eternal Father, who loves us and shows us the path of righteousness. Amen.

 

Submitted by Ellison Robinson