It’s a Privilege

This week we celebrated Father's Day. What a privilege God has given to humanity; we can have a Father as well as be one. However, with the blessing comes great responsibility--a task that some take lightly. First of all men are to be priests and leaders. This means that we do not expect others to fulfill our role authoritatively.  Bill Cosby in one of his jovial comments once remarked "I'm not the boss of my house. I don't know how I lost it, I don't know when I lost it, I don't really think I ever had it. But I've seen the boss's job ... and I don't want it!" While jokingly stated, this response defines the attitude of so many dads. Voddie T. Baucham Jr. commented "It has been said that as goes the family, so goes the world. It can also be said that as goes the father, so goes the family." This is especially true as it relates to leadership; when father's fail in this area the family finds itself struggling for meaning and direction in life. Thus, someone or something else steps in, fills the vacancy and normally without positive results. Secondly, fathers are to be role models. Clarence Budington in speaking about his own father stated, "He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it." Children are always in the observation mode; meaning they do not have to be coached to follow the path we trod it's an automatic response. That's why it's so important to allow God to order our steps, then the steps of our children will follow suit. Thirdly, fathers are to be providers financially but even more so emotionally. What does emotional support look like? Jim Valvano explains it with his statement, "My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person: he believed in me." Sigmund Freud gave input by suggesting "I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father's protection." Harmon Killebrew insinuated it meant playtime. "My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, "You’re tearing up the grass." "We’re not raising grass," Dad would reply. "We’re raising boys." Others would describe emotional support as being a hug, a kiss, a kind word, or a supportive smile. All of these are important to the mental DNA of our children. While working at fatherhood just remember it does not require perfection just performance. Reed Markham may have said it best. "Being a great father is like shaving. No matter how good you shaved today, you have to do it again tomorrow." So dads get out there and do it again--fatherhood is not a problem but a privilege.