The text I’m studying this week from Galatians 3 has a lot of familial language in it – i.e. it’s loaded with terms like father, sons, children, heirs…etc. This, along with my daughter returning home from college and Father’s day coming Sunday, has me wondering a lot about how I’m doing as a dad?
Needless to say, the Apostle Paul’s admonition in Colossians 3:21 keeps rattling around in my brain, “Fathers, vex not your children…” Ok, so that’s not a great translation – what does vex mean anyway? How about this one – “Dads don’t come down too hard on your kids or you’ll crush their spirits.” My guess is all parents understand this language.
Over the years my prayer has always been not just to be a good Dad but to be a godly one. Not a particularly easy task given my own imperfections. However, I’ve been giving it my best shot. Learning, growing, teaching, modeling, praying and demonstrating grace and authenticity seems to be what’s most important. Yeah, I know…it sounds like a recipe – which is something we all look for. Unfortunately, it’s all not as cut and dry as we’d like to pretend. Parenting is messy business.
Being a kid whose Dad left when I was six months old, the whole fathering thing has always been important to me. What I’ve come to realize is that good parenting starts with Dad and Mom having a healthy loving relationship. Health and love has a trickle down effect. So this weekend, celebrate family. Parents love each other well and loving your kids will follow. And kids, honor your parents – they have a tough job.
Oh yeah…musician and recording artist John Mayer writes a song which reflects some meaningful insight about how our kids learn important things from us parents – like how to love others. The song is entitled, Daughters. It’s a good tune.
I know a girl
She puts the color inside of my world
But she’s just like a maze
Where all of the walls all continually change
And I’ve done all I can
To stand on her steps with my heart in my hand
Now I’m starting to see
Maybe it’s got nothing to do with meFathers, be good to your daughters
Daughters will love like you do
Girls become lovers who turn into mothers
So mothers, be good to your daughters tooOh, you see that skin?
It’s the same she’s been standing in
Since the day she saw him walking away
Now she’s left
Cleaning up the mess he made
So fathers, be good to your daughters
Daughters will love like you do
Girls become lovers who turn into mothers
So mothers, be good to your daughters tooBoys, you can break
You’ll find out how much they can take
Boys will be strong
And boys soldier on
But boys would be gone without warmth from
A woman’s good, good heartOn behalf of every man
Looking out for every girl
You are the god and the weight of her worldSo fathers, be good to your daughters
Daughters will love like you do
Girls become lovers who turn into mothers
So mothers, be good to your daughters too
Husband. Father. Senior Pastor of 