One of the great blessings in my life is being charged by God with raising my two sons, Caleb and Christian. I’m far from perfect, either as a man or as a father, and I pray that my weaknesses and failings don't infect my boys. I try to be the best example I’m capable of being for them while acknowledging my mistakes and steering them toward better choices and away from my flaws. I want them to be better men than I am, and they're off to great starts!
Whatever my shortcomings as a man and father, I know that being a dad is not all about sending a check or paying bills. Yes, fathers are supposed to provide for their children’s physical needs, but dads also invest their time, attention, patience, care, and counsel. We must offer physical, spiritual, and emotional protection and guidance. Fathers are supposed to model leadership to their families and submission to the Lord, selflessness and sacrifice, industry and integrity, strength and love, for any children they bring into the world.
"Dad" has a demanding job description, and those who do it well are not generally celebrated for what they give. For all the jokes and lack of respect heaped upon fathers in modern culture, anyone who isn’t a father and doesn't “dad” the right way can barely fathom what it takes from a man to do it well. Being a good father makes any male a better man and shapes children who become better men and women. So often, fathers labor—and struggle—in silence. I've felt the weight myself, and I've seen it in other men. It’s heavy, so there's little I respect more in a man than his priority and commitment to his children.
Mothers get plenty of credit—and deservedly so—but fathers, by their presence and participation or their apathy and absence, have as profound an influence on the welfare and flourishing of children, homes, and future generations as any other single factor. Happy Father’s Day to all the real dads out there, including adoptive fathers, grandfathers, stepfathers, or uncles who step in to be fathers to the fatherless, doing what the biologicals either cannot or will not. I salute you. Don't grow weary in your well-doing. The Lord sees, brothers, and he will reward all your labors of love.