As a Lion-Hearted Man I depend on the Truth. It guides my beliefs, thoughts and actions in the arena of fatherhood. Here are 4 Truths from the Bible that direct the way I approach fatherhood. So let’s jump in!
1. God is the giver of life.
“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.” (Ps 139:13)
In a culture that thinks babies are nothing more than a cluster of cells and tissue it is vital to understand that God is the giver of all life. Azariah, Tirzah and Elia are little image-bearers of the Almighty God, entrusted to me to raise. Sometimes I sit on my couch at home thinking “God made a mistake. There’s been a mix-up.” No mix-ups. No mistakes. Just a God who has entrusted you and I with a wonderful responsibility.
2. God is in control of how many kids I have and when.
“When the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened the womb, but Rachel was barren.” (Gen 29:31, see also Gen 20:18, 30:22; 1 Sam 1:5)
There are no accidents, although there are surprises! God is control over every child. Lydia got pregnant 4 months into our marriage. Surprise! After 3 years and 3 kids knowing this brings us tremendous peace. We trust that God is in control, not our “Family Planning Strategy” or lack thereof! Fight the knee-jerk reaction to call your financial planner or your mom stressing out about how it’s to early. God is either in control or He is not (and I believe He is).
3. Children are a blessing.
“Behold children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward…Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them.” (Ps 127:3, 5)
One of the most formational verses for me personally as a father, it has reminded me of a simple but profound truth: Children are a BLESSING. Not a nuisance. Not a killer of my dreams. Not a drain on our finances. Not an inconvenience. A BLESSING. Ingrained in our culture is this attitude that children hinder, hold-back or disturb our lives. Sleepless nights before work the next morning. Limitations on when I spend time with my guys. 2 kids desperate for my attention when I walk in the door. An increasing bill of diapers, applesauce, kids clothes. Listen! I get it. I often find I need to repent for a warped perspective. In the difficult moments I strive to remember that my children are a BLESSING with a capital B. I’ve found the Enemy wants to capitalize on discontentment in God’s men towards their homes. It leads to disengaged fathers giving themselves to sports, hobbies, media and work instead of first to their families.
Children are a BLESSING. Not a nuisance. Not a killer of my dreams. Not a drain on our finances. Not an inconvenience.
4. My Children are disciples I launch into the world.
“Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth.” (Ps 127:4)
Raising godly children are a powerful way to impact the culture for the Kingdom. This verse clarified one of the main purposes for me in fatherhood which is to raise godly children as a means of discipleship and advancing the Gospel. My goal is not to raise fully-functioning adults who can contribute to society. My goal is to notch my children on my bow and launch them at high speed for great impact! I am raising my children to be disciples of Christ who will go into the world armed with the love of Christ. I once heard it said, “You get what you expect.” If my expectation is to make mature adults, that’s all I’ll get. But, if I want to make sold out disciples of Jesus who will change the world, I need to understand that fatherhood is a means of warfare.