Eph 6:4 And fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. 4 Fathers, don't exasperate your children by coming down hard on them. Take them by the hand and lead them in the way of the Master. 4 Parents, do not treat your children in such a way as to make them angry. Instead, raise them with Christian discipline and instruction.
Courageous fatherhood
In his book `Courageous manhood` Ed Cole makes a couple of statements :
Heroes are men who act in a moment of time on a need greater than themselves
It takes courage to hold convictions, to change, to admit need, to face reality, and to make decisions.
Champions are not men who never fail, but men who never quit.
Men need not pray for opportunities, but pray to be ready when opportunities come.
What makes a good father - I believe that you can only learn that from two places : an excellent example who can mentor you or from an owners manual - we are God`s workmanship - his creation - and therefore we come with an owners manual - The Bible : God`s instruction manual for every matter in life.
1 Heroes are men who act in a moment of time on a need greater than themselves :
I believe, that in every man`s life, you will experience a defining moment. We all come to a certain amount of cross roads in our lives that will call for action. It will also most probably be a moment or a situation that calls for something which you might have thought you did not have within you. How will you act when the day of choice comes - when your child - who at this point in time cries out for a father`s assistance - when she was hurt by a boyfriend, when she got abused or when he fell for the temptation out there - will you respond and say - I am here - rest with me.
2 It takes courage to hold convictions, to change, to admit need, to face reality, and to make decisions :
3 Champions are not men who never fail, but men who never quit. :
I like to belief that I know and have all the answers - but one thing I have learned in my walk with God is this : you can walk before God in only one of two ways : you are either `humble` or you are being `humbled`
Champions are those who experienced the feeling of being humbled, who decided to get up after a fall - but who then chose to stay humbled.
Jesus told His disciples, I did not come to be served, but to serve.
Our biggest roles we can ever fulfill as husbands and fathers are those of servants. We are here to serve our wives and children - not as slaves but as men of courage who know how to honour our wives by honouring our children.
We were given dominion over the earth and the animals - but we were told to become one flesh with our wives. We are not the slave masters of our children - we are the heroes who lead them and guide them through our leadership through servanthood.
To many boys grow up to be womanisers, abusers of women and children - bullies, because of the example they see. It is a well proven fact - that the children of abusers run a 90% risk to become that which they experienced in life.
4 Men need not pray for opportunities, but pray to be ready when opportunities come.
This is a major point - dad - where do babies come from : Wow ! Go ask your mother.
I did not pray or ask for many of the things that happened to me - it was part of life - life happens - but if there was ever a true piece of advice - this is it : Pray that we are ready and equipped when the moment comes.
I am begging that we all should pray that we are ready for the challenges of being courageous fathers. Men whose children will be proud to say
Hey - that`s MY Dad !
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