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.

Thank you for visiting. We trust that you have enjoyed reading our articles.

Liked this post?

Read more below or search for more topics...

  • Who Do You Trust?

    Who Do You Trust? “‘My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,’ says the Lord. ‘And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts’” (Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT). Many years ago, I was an undergraduate student.  I took a few Philosophy courses to fulfill the degree requirements in liberal arts.  I loved the classes because they forced me to attempt a deeper level of understanding.  One class was on Logic and Reasoning and we (students) were given an...
    Read More

  • Approach Prayer With Confidence And Thanksgiving

    Approach Prayer With Confidence And Thanksgiving Prayer is an essential component to our relationship with God. We offer prayers for those who are sick or in need of help and prayers of thanksgiving for our blessings. Prayer is also a time for us to be quiet and listen for the gentle voice of God. The Psalmist tells us in Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.” We all would be wise to focus on this promise while we wait on the Lord."Even if I don’t hear a response to my prayer, I can still come away with peace...
    Read More

  • The New Year

    The New Year “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland” (Isaiah 43:19). As the new year approaches so does a surge in membership applications to local fitness centers.   Many of us make a new year’s resolution to lose weight, and this is a great resolution.  Our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit, and we are to honor God with our bodies (1 Cor. 6:19-20). At this time of the year, I like to reflect on Isaiah 43:19. “See, I...
    Read More