Another Fatherly Reminder

Hey, thanks for the great men's meeting this morning. It's always fun to eat breakfast while talking about the things of the Lord.

In keeping with yesterday's post, I wanted to include the following paragraph from Fathering Like the Father. It pertains specifically to a dad, like myself, who is involved in full-time ministry. But I think it also applies to all of us as Christian fathers. (In other words, you guys aren't off the hook, just because you're not church employees.)

On pages 102-103, the authors write:

We would all agree that fathers who neglect their children because they work sixteen hours a day making millions of dollars to buy large estates and yachts do not glorify God, do not practice holiness, and invite God's judgment on their lives. We might be more lenient with a pastor or priest who spends so much time "in the Lord's work" that his own children choose the wide path to destruction. We might, but not God. He held Eli personally responsible for the godless behavior of Hophni and Phinehas. And before this story ends, Eli is dead, both sons are dead, Israel has faced horrendous defeat by the Philistines, and the ark of the Covenant is captured. ... God has little interest in our excuses.... Irresponsible parents produce irresponsible children, and the fact that Eli was a priest cut him no slack with God.

Now that's a sobering reminder, to say the least.

Fathering Like the Father

Now that German class is over, I've had a bit more free time for reading and such. Just last night I was perusing a book entitled Fathering Like the Father by Kenneth and Jeffrey Gangel (a father-and-son co-authoring team).

While I found some parts of the book to be less-helpful (such as the chapter on God's sense of humor), I really like the overall premise of the book--namely, that as a human father, I can look to my heavenly Father as the ultimate example of perfect parenting. Thus, my parenting should reflect the communicable attributes of God Himself--such as His mercy, grace, patience, righteousness, justice, and forgiveness.

The authors really bring this point home by noting that, especially for younger kids, children's view of God is heavily influenced by their view of their earthly fathers. Wow, what a responsibility!--to think that the understanding my kids have of their heavenly Father will be directly affected by the kind of relationship they have with me. (It will either be something that helps them rightly understand who God is, or it will be something they must overcome in order to rightly understand who God is.)

If I am legalistic, irrational, overbearing, or totaliterian...it will be hard for my children not to see God in the same way. If I am (on the other extreme) too soft on sin, easily manipulated, or a push-over, my kids will likely see God as being similar. Or if I am never home, distant, callous, and uncaring, perhaps they will view God like that. Of course, none of these is an accurate reflection of who God really is.

But if I am marked by consistency and grace, what a testimony it will be to my kids of the holy and merciful Father who saved me from the kingdom of darkness and transferred me to the kingdom of light. Obviously, my parenting won't be perfect...as God's is. But I can reinforce a biblical understanding of God's character when I exemplify godliness in my home.

Thus, my prayer is that, by God's grace, I would be the kind of dad who rightly reflects my Father in heaven.

The Blog Is Back...

With German behind me (at least mostly), the Northpark Bible Study Blog is back on track. Austin is already 5-weeks-old... but better late than never.

Expect regular postings to resume immediately.