I will never forget what happened this past Thursday at 9:43pm. In fact there are 3 more moments just like it that I will never forget. Our 4th child was born (who I thought was going to be a boy). Haven Elise (who in fact is a girl) decided it was time to join our family after 41 weeks of some personal development. For the record my wife and all the other ladies out there who have birthed a child have a special reward for them in heaven. Over the past 4 days I have been holding my “little bean” and reflecting on….HOW IN THE WORLD I GOT HERE! Bam! You look up and you have 4 kids…so don’t look up unless you’re prepared for that! But seriously one of the thoughts that has come to mind is this: Men should love babies. And here are 5 reasons why.
- Babies represent life. In a culture that idolizes personal choice and freedom over life itself, it has never been more important for us as men to be the foremost champions of life. Two of the tasks given to Adam were to protect and cultivate life in the garden. This is still our mandate today.
- Babies bring joy. I am guilty of getting so focused on the task in front of me, be it cleaning dishes, looking at houses on the market, or thinking of literally 1,000 new ideas. Children have a way of getting you to lift your nose from the grindstone, stop and smell the flowe…poop. I think we as fathers need to let ourselves get lost in our kids world a little more!
- Babies are innocent. There are not too many things in the world that you can say that about. The innocence of a child is something to be protected, nurtured, and enjoyed. We blink and our kids are not babies anymore. If we aren’t intentional with this short window of their lives, then we will miss an incredible blessing.
- Babies produce selflessness. Whew. That word is hard to say. Sellflessssnesssss. Admittedly selflessness is perhaps one of the hardest virtues to pursue. However as Men of God, we know we need more of it and we need God’s grace to produce it. Hallelujah. Our prayers have been answered in the form of a little 10lb burrito that excretes bodily fluids, has no off button, and loves to pull “all-nighters.” I know that was bleak and it’s not the whole picture of what fatherhood entails however it communicates the point that babies are work and babies sanctify us as men.
- Babies are special to Jesus. This perhaps is one of the most important reasons why all men should love babies. Jesus was the most masculine, radical, hard-core, strong man ever to walk the face of the earth. More than a role-model, he is living THROUGH us (Gal 2:20). Jesus loves children. They are special to him. He doesn’t dismiss them, see them as annoying or a deterrent to our goals. If we are going to grow in maturity as men then we must take on the heart that Jesus has for our children and our babies.
How does Jesus want to rewire your outlook on young children or babies?