This week I got to spend some time with my dad. My brother and I flew to Portland to meet up with him since we hadn’t seen him for over a year, and we had a lot of catching up to do in a short amount of time. We went to our favorite local restaurants, drove to the beach to eat our favorite clam chowder, went to our favorite coffee shop… okay, so we sat around and ate a lot. But it gave us a lot of time to talk as well.
In all the reminiscing it made me realize I never really appreciated everything he did for me when I was young. He worked rain or shine to provide for our family, which was no easy task considering he had seven kids. He was always teaching me, even when I wasn’t listening. He did everything he possibly could to be a good father to the best of his abilities.
Today, I’d like to share some of the things he taught me with you. Even if you’re not a father, learn these lessons well. They are keys to life.
Here are three keys to being a good father.
1. Be a covering of unconditional love.
If you read your Bible, you will discover something unique about how God made us. He designed us to give and receive love. The Bible says, “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8)
Just about everything your child will encounter in life will tell them they aren’t good enough to be loved, or they need to question who they are. You do the exact opposite. Be a covering of unconditional love for them. In doing so, you’ll show them God’s love. My dad did that for me, and I messed up plenty. Now, I try to show the same love to my kids.
2. Have a “get the job done” work ethic.
My siblings and I grew up sons of a landscaper and retaining wall builder. It was hard, wet work in rainy Oregon. There were countless times we wanted to leave the job site early or just not go to work at all. But not my dad. He would constantly say, “We’ve got to get this job done!” As a result, we finished every job we started.
The Bible says, “Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” and “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.” (1 Timothy 5:8, 2 Thessalonians 3:10)
God put us on this earth to do good work. And one of the worst things you can do for your kids is to teach them to have a lazy work ethic.
3. Find time to do simple, fun things with your kids.
Of all the things I remember that my dad did, it wasn’t anything extravagant that sticks in my mind. Instead, I remember the simple things we enjoyed. For example, I remember the pinecone fights with my mom sitting on the blanket, telling my dad not to throw them too hard.
I remember the late-night John Wayne movies, trout fishing at the lake, hunting trips, and fish & chips at the beach. And I’ll never forget the dicey hotels we thought were cool just because they had a pool. It’s the simple things.
These are just three simple keys to becoming a good father. There is much more I can say about this. But let me finish with this. The Bible says that “parents are the pride of their children.” (Proverbs 17:6) If you add these three keys to your parenting arsenal, you’ll be well on your way.
Click here to LISTEN to my latest message: iTunes – Google – Spotify
