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What Would We Do Without Dads?

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Nothing…Because We Wouldn’t Even Be Here

That’s right. We wouldn’t have been born without a father. But just being a father doesn’t mean we’re good at it.

Being a good father is a big job.

This past Sunday was Father’s Day, so it only makes sense that this was the focus of Pastor Lisa’s message.

So, what does it mean to be a father?

While it might seem obvious what “dad” means– a male parent– it’s often hard to define the role of a dad.

Dad can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. So, what do children need? After all, the definition is a male parent.

Children need many things from their parents, but let’s break it down into the main pieces. They need:

  • Necessities of life
  • Human interaction
  • Care and comfort
  • Warmth and love
  • Guidance and protection
  • To be important to someone

These relate to the different roles that dads (and moms) play.

Human parents are not perfect…some are quite bad at it. We’ve all known people who have bad fathers or don’t even know who their father was.

This is where mentoring comes in. Young men need good role models. These role models can come in the form of coaches, camp counselors, dads of friends, teachers, etc.

We all need people to look up to and try to be like. We should all try to be those people.

This is where my friend Shep’s book, Step into Your Legacy, can be helpful. His book is a guide for men, helping them strive to be people who inspire others through actions and words. Whether it’s the way we treat our families, the kindness we show to others, or the dedication at our workplace, every moment is an opportunity to make an impact.

Being a good dad requires knowing what it means to be a good dad and being intentional about doing it.

As Pastor Lisa has been taking us through the Old Testament, we have seen the kings go back and forth from good and following God to bad and not. This human condition is just that: human.

This is why we need to be aware and understand ourselves and our humanness. Then it’s up to us to be intentional in our actions and learn how to be better.

Often, we get into routines and habits and don’t realize what we’re doing. A good example of how this happens and what we can do about it is in 2 Chronicles 34:14-15; 29-33. In the Scripture, Hilkiah discovers the Book of the Law in the Temple. It is then shared with King Josiah who makes changes and promises to do what’s right.

The best example of how to be a good dad (or mom) is our Heavenly Father and we learn this by reading His Word.

Regardless of what our father here on earth is like, God is our Heavenly Dad. Sure, we wouldn’t have been born without an earthly father. But, the same is true for our Heavenly Father.

I hope you had a great Father’s Day. Going forward, I hope you strive to be more like our Heavenly Father.

It’s Not Easy to Be A Hall of Fame Dad

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But Nobody Said It Was Going to Be

 

There’s a Hall of Fame for almost everything, that’s not to say that is an easy place to be inducted into. It does speak to the fact that we like being recognized for what we’re good at. What do you want to be good at?


With this past Sunday being Father’s Day, Pastor Lee spoke about the Dad’s Hall of Fame. Every Dad should want to be there, but not all will make it. Being a “Hall of Fame Dad” doesn’t require a biological connection, it just requires connection. This can be; step, adopted, grand, brother, uncle, church, etc.


Here are three things that should be done well, to be inducted into the “Dad Hall of Fame”:


Make time – Time is the hardest thing to give. There never seems to be enough. There are so many things…really good and important things…we neglect to set aside time for our children. When we get someone’s undivided attention, we feel validated and worthy. This is the one thing that all kids crave. If you want to get inducted into the hall of fame, spend time with your kids.

 

 

Teach the difference of right and wrong – There are too many kids growing up without father figures in their lives. Most single parent homes have a mother who is working to keep food on the table and a roof overhead. This leaves too many young people learning right and wrong from other young people. Growing up without a father is a problem that goes beyond just humans.


Teaching right and wrong is part of the natural order of things as shown in the Absence of Fathers: A Story of Elephants and Men 


Years ago, in the Kruger National Park and game reserve in South Africa, the elephant population had outgrown what the park could sustain. A plan was devised to relocate some of the elephants. This was done with a harness and a helicopter. Due to the size of the large bulls, the females and young males were the ones moved to another game reserve.

 


What happened later in the second game reserve was strange. Rangers began to find dead bodies of the endangered white rhinos. At first poachers were suspected, but the rhinos had not been shot or poached. It was discovered that they were being killed by a marauding band of aggressive juvenile male elephants…the ones relocated from Kruger. Something had gone terribly wrong.


What had been missing was a large dominant bull to provide a role model and keep the younger bulls in line. The rangers then moved some of the older bulls to the new location and within weeks the bizarre violent behavior of the juvenile elephants had stopped. The younger elephants just needed an older male to teach them the difference of right and wrong.


Show love – Love can be shown in many ways; the most important thing is that it’s shown. This means more than just saying it. Love is about putting other’s needs ahead of your own. The Bible is full of examples of our Heavenly Father’s love for us.

 

 


If we do these three things constantly and to the best of our ability our chances of being inducted into the “Dads Hall of Fame” improve greatly. It’s never too late to start, so get started!