A Daddy's Job Description

In 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12 the Word states: ¹¹For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, ¹²encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

As I read this passage this morning during my quiet time with the Lord, the phrase "as a father deals with his own children" jumped out at me. It was one of those moments where I sensed the Holy Spirit over my shoulder pointing out something to me that would help me. As I pondered that, I went on to see listed three things in this passage that would help all of us as fathers. Here they are:

1. Encouraging
2. Comforting
3. Urging

I know from my own life that I have fallen short in all of these areas. I try to encourage my kids, but end up arguing or yelling at them for their behaviors. When they are struggling, my comforting them isn't all it should be. And as for urging them on to live their lives worthy of God, it usually comes out more like don't embarrass your mother and me. This is not to say that I'm a horrible parent. Because I don't believe that lie of the enemy for one minute. What I've seen here is three things that if I will use as a filter when I'm dealing with my kids, will make me more of a blessing to their lives, than a frustration.

The dictionary says that to encourage is to to inspire with courage, spirit, or confidence: His coach encouraged him throughout the marathon race to keep on running. This is what fathers are to do, we are to coach our kids to keep going and we do that by inspiring them with courage, spirit and confidence. If we want our kids to be successful in life, we have to do this for sure.

The dictionary says that to comfort is to to soothe, console, or reassure; bring cheer to: They tried to comfort her after her loss. We are to reassure our kids that they are doing well. This is especially important for teens, they are going through so much these days that we must try to bring cheer to them, and to reassure them that they are doing well.

The dictionary says that to urge is to to endeavor to induce or persuade, as by entreaties; entreat or exhort earnestly: to urge a person to a greater place. As dads, we need to always be urging our kids to live their lives worthy of God. We need to make sure they know God as Father, and provider for everything they have need of. One of the best ways to do this that a great friend of mine, Joe McGee told me about is to read Bible stories to your kids. By reading Bible stories to them, they will come to learn about the people that God uses, broken, unfinished men and women. There is a great book that you can purchase that is an excellent tool for this very purpose. It's called Egermeier's Bible Story Book, and can be purchased at Amazon.com

I know that I want to become the best daddy I can be to my kids. They don't stay at home forever, and I've got to do the best I can in the short amount of time I have them with me. Remember it's the end times and God said in His Word that now is the time that He is turning the hearts of the fathers back to the children (Luke 1:17) Use these three things found in 1Thessalonians 2:11-12 and go become the best daddies out there!

Fighting the fight, until I see His face....Shalom.