"Nothing I have ever done has given me more joys and rewards than being a father to my children." Bill Cosby
I couldn't agree more. I have an 11 year-old daughter from my first marriage and she has been what has kept me going through some of the darkest times in my life. Just hearing her say "daddy" or "dad" now that she has gotten older is music to my ears.
"Trust in yourself and you are doomed to disappointment. Trust in money and you may have it taken from you. But trust in God and you are never to be confounded in time or eternity." D.L. Moody
It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. Psalm 118:8 NIV
Have you ever put your faith and trust in your job only to have it pulled out from under you? I have. It's not a fun feeling. But, if you put your trust in God, He will see you through it and you will come out on top every time.
"Children spell LOVE T-I-M-E." Dr. Anthony P. Witham
Don't be a fool; be wise; make the most of every opportunity you have for doing good. Ephesians 5:16 TLB
It has often been said, especially in the corporate world, that time is money. Well, in the eyes of a child, time is love. We make time for what's most important to us. Are you spending more time with your co-workers than your kids? With your golfing buddies? With your drinking buddies? With your TV? With your computer? Something to think about!
"It is better to bind your children to you by a feeling of respect, and by gentleness, than by fear." Terence
...thy gentleness hath made me great. Psalm 18:35
Common sense would tell us that making our kids afraid of us will only drive them away. A reverential type of fear, or a respectful type of fear, like the type of fear we are supposed to have for God, is one thing. But we should never cause our kids to be terrified of us.
"Laughter is the shortest distance between two people" Victor Borge
The light in the eyes (of him whose heart is joyful) rejoices the hearts of others....Proverbs 15:30
Lighten up! Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does. Besides, life's too short not to enjoy it to the fullest. Laugh early and often, and make others laugh often too. Laugh at yourself, or the rest of us will laugh at you...lol!
"You can't do much about your ancestors, but you can influence your descendants enormously." Anonymous
...but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15
That Anonymous is a smart dude. He's got this one figured out. We can learn from our past. From the triumphs and tragedies of those who came before us, but we can't change them. All we can do is be the best fathers and husbands we can be to our kids and our wives. And we do that best by leading them in serving the Lord.
"Every dad is the family role model, whether he wants the job or not." Dennis Rainey
..in order to offer ourselves as a model for you, that you might follow our example. 2 Thessalonians 3:9 NASB
Wow! Like it or not dads, your kids are watching you and patterning their lives after you. If they see you smoke or drink, guess what they're going to want to do. If they see or hear you lie to someone, then they will too. If they see you mistreat their mom, then they will most likely mistreat their wives. On the other hand, if they see you love and serve God, they will follow that example. If they see you love, support, and serve your family, they will do likewise when they grow up. What kind of role model are you being to your kids?
"Children are like clocks; they must be allowed to run." Dr. James Dobson
Fathers,...don not be hard on them (children) or harass them; lest they become discouraged. Colossians 3:21 AMP
Not much upsets me more than to see these so-called parents who make their kids, when they are toddlers, look, talk, and act like little grown ups. You know the one's, they have their 4 year-old reading on a 4th grade level. They don't allow them to play with kids toys, watch kids shows on TV, run barefoot in the grass. No, they make their kids write essays, or practice spelling words. It's sad to see a five year-old with a better vocabulary than a thirty year-old, and it is saddest for the five year-old because he/she has missed out on some of the best times in life. Let your kids be kids! I'm not saying let them be heathens, structure and discipline are good things, but only when balanced with fun and play times.
"By profession I am a soldier and take pride in that fact, but I am prouder to be a father." General Douglas MacArthur
I have great confidence in you: I take great pride in you.... 2 Corinthians 7:4 NIV
"There is no more vital calling or vocation for men than fathering." John R. Throop
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14
"It is not what a man does that determines whether his work is sacred or secular, it is why he does it." A.W. Tozer
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men..It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Colossians 3:23, 24 NIV
Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. Colossians 3:17 NASB
As men, it's easy to derive our sense of self worth from our occupational title. We puff out our chests and say with pride "I'm a lawyer", or "I'm a doctor", or "I'm a ____". Not that there is anything wrong with any of these occupations or titles. Not at all. The thing is, one day we will all stand before God, even those who don't believe in Him, and give account of how we spent our lives. He could not care less how much money you made, what your title was, or how fast you climbed the corporate ladder. What He will care about is what kind of husband you were to your wife and what kind of dad you were to your kids. I think I would much rather puff out my chest and say, with great humility rather than pride, "I am a husband and father". I am not a perfect one by any stretch of the imagination, but I gladly and humbly accept the role.
"The strongest evidence of love is sacrifice." Caroline Fry
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16 KJV
"Among all the abuses of the world...there is none worse than a negligent father." Stefano Guazzo
But you have neglected the more important matters of the law - justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Matthew 23:23 NIV
"Children need to know - and to hear in ways they understand and remember - that they are loved and valued by mom and dad." Gary Smalley and Paul Trent
...let us stop just saying that we love people; let us really love them, and show it by our actions. 1 John 3:18 TLB
A young, successful attorney said: The greatest gift I ever received was a gift I got one Christmas when my dad gave me a small box. Inside the box was a note saying "Son, this year I will give you 365 hours, an hour every day after dinner." My dad not only kept his promise, he said, but he renewed it and it's the greatest gift I ever had in my life. I am the result of his time. Unknown
You want to show your families real love?? Then try spending less time at work, and more time with them. Try spending less time on the golf course, and more time with them. Get the picture? Try being a little less selfish, and a little more selfless. Try sacrificing what you want, for what they need. And, the most novel idea of them all, try spending more time with your family, loving, serving, and worshipping God together. That's real love.
"Words have an awesome impact. The impressions made by a father's voice can set in motion an entire trend of life." Gordon MacDonald
"..we can either grace our children, or damn them with unrequited wounds that never seem to heal...men, as fathers you have such power! R. Kent Hughes
Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. Proverbs 18:21
"Perhaps once in a hundred years a person may be ruined by excessive praise, but surely once every minute someone dies inside for a lack of it. Cecil G. Osborne
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. Ephesians 4:29
Our kids hang on every word we say. And, some kids have hung themselves because of things said to and/or about them by their parents, fathers especially. We need to watch very closely what we say to or about our kids, and how we say it. Words mean things. And, whether it's true or not, and whether we mean it or not, when we say things to our kids like "you'll never amount to anything", or "you're as dumb as a box of rocks", if we say them long enough, our kids will start to believe it. They will take what we say to heart and will either live up to the positive things we say and the positive expectations we express, or they will live down to the negative ones.
"Measure wealth not by the things you have, but the things you have for which you would not take money." Anonymous
For a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. Luke 12:15 KJV
Someone once came up with the idiotic saying "he who dies with the most toys wins". The reality is, he who dies with the most toys is still just as dead as the next guy. You cant' take it with you. I don't own an expensive home, or drive a fancy car. I live in an apartment and drive a 13 year-old truck. But, I consider myself to be one of the wealthiest men alive because I have a wife and daughter who love me and who I love and get to spend time with. Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, and Donald Trump combined do not have enough money to equal what this is worth to me.
The 10 Commandments for Effective Fathers: From the book "God's Little Instruction Book for Dad"
1: Spend time with your children. Making the most of the time - buying up every opportunity. Ephesians 5:16 AMP
2: Let your children know often that you love them just the way they are. Wherefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us...Romans 15:7 NASB
3: Discipline your children when they need it. He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently. Proverbs 13:24 NSAB
4: Pray with and for your children regularly. Wherefore also we pray always for you....2 Thessalonians 1:11
5: Always be honest with your children. A good man is known by his truthfulness; a false man by deceit and lies. Proverbs 12:17 TLB
6: Love your children's mother. And you husbands, show the same kind of love to your wives as Christ showed to the church when He died for her. Ephesians 5:25 TLB
7: Take time to listen to your children. Let the wise listen and add to their learning...Proverbs 1:5 NIV
8: Encourage your children often. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up...1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV
9: Celebrate your children's achievements. Rejoice with them that do rejoice..Romans 12:15 KJV
10: Be flexible with your children. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love. Ephesians 4:2b KJV
My dad didn't make a lot of money and I didn't grow up in the lap of luxury having any and everything I ever wanted. I never went without the things I needed though, including time. My dad got off work at 5:00 every night and by 5:40 we were sitting down to dinner as a family. He was home every weekend instead of on the golf course or somewhere else. And, he took us to church every time the doors were open. I decided a long time ago that that is the kind of man I want to be as well. No, my dad wasn't perfect and there are alot things about him that I don't want to emulate, but he got some of the most important things right, and that is what I remember most. He passed away over 10 years, August 25, 1996. One of the most important things he left with me was an understanding of the importance of faith and family. In the end, nothing else really matters. Nothing is more important.
Feel free to pass this along to other husbands and fathers.
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!
Jim Chitty
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