Thank you for visiting. We trust that you have enjoyed reading our articles.
How To Be An AAA Rated Father (Part 2)
“And he said, Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s venison, that my soul may bless thee” (Genesis 27:25 KJV).
Fathering is increasingly important because children are increasingly being born into either fatherless homes or homes in which the father is present but not active in the life in the child.
Men have been appointed by God as the head of the home. I understand that many women find this troubling, and the Bible is full of stories of courageous women that have served the body of Christ. The truth is that many men have done a terrible job of leading their house in any capacity, particularly spiritually. Many men are not even physically present in the home or if so, they do not recognize Jesus as their Lord and savior and will not even attend church on Sunday.
The article, “The Daddy Factor: The Crucial Impact of Fathers on Young Children’s Development” by Claire Lerner provides some eye-opening results from new research regarding the impact of fathers on the development of children. For example, when fathers use more words with their children during play, children have more advanced language skills a year later. This is especially important because language skills are correlated with academic success. Also, the more time fathers spend in enriching, stimulating play with their child—such as playing pretend or sharing stories—the better the child’s math and reading scores are at 10 and 11 years old.
I previously wrote a blog titled “How To Be A AAA-Rated Father,” which focused on three attributes that are needed to be a good father – affection, affirmation, and attention. This current blog deals with the result of a fatherless child. A fatherless child will be missing three key attributes as he or she goes trough life. This void will be a huge obstacle for a happy and successful life.
First, a fatherless child will be missing accountability. The father serves as a daily life coach. Even the best of children will lie, steal, disrespect, destroy, and cheat. The father will unconditionally love the child and because of his love will discipline the child as needed. The father will hold the child accountable. Accountability is like walls in that they provide protection. “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls (Proverbs 25:28).
Second, a fatherless child will be missing apprenticeship. Historically, many jobs were learned as an apprentice. Similarly, fathers teach valuable life skills to their children. A father trains his children to prepare them to become self-sufficient. Each move a father makes, good or bad, is training his children. Most lessons are caught and not taught, which means that children are much more keenly focused on what we do rather than what we say. Fathers establish the norms in the family. I was blessed as a child to have a father that established norms of going to church on Sunday, family, hard work, education, fiscal responsibility, respect for authority, humility, and more.
Third, a fatherless child will be missing affirmation. As a child, I wanted nothing more than to please my parents. I wanted their approval and affirmation and I received it. Can you imagine the psychological damage to a child if they never hear words of affirmation from their father? What if instead the child hears the opposite: “Why are you so dumb? You are a disappointment to me!” The identify of the child becomes one of failure. How can they face the challenges of life with strength and courage?
The need for a child to receive the blessing of his father is illustrated in Genesis 27. Jacob went to great lengths to receive his father’s blessing. Be sure that each of your children receives your blessing and help them to have accountability, apprenticeship, and affirmation.
Prayer: Dear God, Thank you for the blessing of children. Father, help us to be more like you and to instill positive attributes into our children. 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...
-
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... -
Words Of Life Or Death
Words Of Life Or Death “But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken” (Matthew 12:36 NIV) You can turn on the tv news any day at any time to see that things are not peaceful. People have strong opinions on political, social environmental, and other issues. A variety of opinions and perspectives can help form a good decision. However, we all tend to wear blinders and have a very limited field of view on certain issues. This hinders our perspective and therefore our ability to see issues... -
What Is The Meaning Of “Iron Sharpens Iron”?
What Is The Meaning of "Iron Sharpens Iron"? I am a volunteer with a national men’s ministry known as “Iron Sharpens Iron.” The name of our group is based on Proverb 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Iron Sharpens Iron is a Conference Network made up of individual ministries that are working interdependently to most effectively offer local church resources for men.This group is accomplishing this by mobilizing ministries to resource local churches with a first-class one-day equipping conference that is designed for men age 13 and older. These one-day conferences bring in world-class speakers to address...