Thank you for visiting. We trust that you have enjoyed reading our articles.
How To Be An AAA-Rated Father (Part 1)
“Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from Him. Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior’s hands. How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them! He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates (Psalm 127:3-5 NLT).
Each year parents with good intentions will search for books to improve their parenting skills. As parents we love our children and want them to have a good life and be happy. We purchase material things to make them happy. We take them on vacations, baseball practice, etc. to make them happy. All of these are good things, but they don’t really provide the child with what he or she really craves.
The Bible is the best book for raising children because, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).
The greatest need for our children is our unconditional love. The home must be a place where they are always accepted and appreciated. Go back and read The Parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-32. The
unconditional love that our Heavenly Father has for us is the same love we must have for our children. When we show our children love, we are showing them God. As fathers we need to model love at home. They need to see how we love them, the rest of the family, and all guests that enter our house. Our actions must reinforce our words.
Our children will soon be adults and their parenting skills will largely be based on what they observed from us. The gifts and trips will fade from memory. Our words will also fade. What remains is feelings. Hopefully, the feelings are of unconditional love, which will be passed on to the next generation.
Some fathers are the life of the party when out in public. They are considered a fun guy, always quick with a joke, but at home they are the opposite. I think it’s easy to love people at a distance, but when you’re with them all the time, little things can become annoying. If we are intentional to ensure that our words are words of life, wherever we are, then we are showing and teaching love to our family and our entire life is a powerful witness.
Back in school, if you received a grade of an A you knew that you did good. A lot of times we love our kids, but we don’t express it in a way they can understand it. Children understand love in three ways: affection, affirmation, and attention. These provide the basis for a AAA-rated father. Please check our more thoughts in Part 2.
1.
Affection. Children need our hugs and kisses. They need to feel our love.
2.
Affirmation. Children need to be affirmed. Build them up with words of love.
3.
Attention. Children need our attention. Our time is precious and when we give our time to our children, we are creating valuable memories for us and them. Be present when you are present – put down the smart phone.
Prayer: Thank you for the blessing of children. Be with us as we try to raise our children to love and honor you. Amen.
Meet the Author
Todd Shupe is a Men’s Ministry Specialist through the General Commission of United Methodist Men and is in training to be a Certified Lay Minister through the Louisiana Conference of the United Methodist Church. He currently serves as the President of the Baton Rouge District of United Methodist Men and is a Board Member for Gulf South Men and serves on the Action Team for The Kingdom Group. He is a volunteer for the Walk to Emmaus, Grace Camp, and Iron Sharpens Iron. Todd resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
We welcome your comments below.
Liked this post?
Read more below or search for more topics...
-
Breaking Down the Components of Love
Breaking Down the Components of Love Perhaps the most common scripture that is read at a wedding is from 1 Corinthians 13. This is beautiful scripture that defines what is and what is not love and is a favorite of mine.I encourage you to read 13:4 and substitute your name for “love.” Our goal in life should be to achieve the characteristics that are described in this scripture. God is love and if we want to be closer to God we must show His love to the world.13:1-13:3 are very close to my heart. I think far too often we focus... -
Creating And Enforcing A Boundary Does Not Make You A Donkey
Creating And Enforcing A Boundary Does Not Make You A Donkey “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” (Genesis 2:15-17 NIV).All was well with God’s creation on earth for the entirety of the first two chapters of Genesis. Then, the story turns as we failed to obey His instructions,... -
Am I Forced To Condone Or Condemn?
Am I Forced To Condone Or Condemn? “Jesus straightened up and asked her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ ‘No one, Sir,’ she said. ‘Then neither do I condemn you,’ Jesus declared. ‘Go now and leave your life of sin.’” (John 8:10-11 NIV). Division in society has been around since the enemy came as a serpent into the Garden of Eden to cause division between humanity and God, and the consequences linger to this day. The church universal is stronger when it is united and when that unity is focused vertically to wordship God and horizontally for evangelism and discipleship...