Fathers Are Needed: Devotions From Time Of GraceSample

Fathers are needed to bring strength and discipline.

Every child cherishes his or her mother’s tender heart and the emotional bond that comes with it. But children do well also to appreciate their fathers' strength, both physical and inner. It is this inner strength that comes from a lesser emotional vulnerability that gives them the ability to insist on the right thing to do even when it’s hard or unpleasant.

A good dad accepts his role as the last word in discipline. He needs to back up Mom’s words. A child who has never learned how to obey orders will never do well in school and is probably unemployable. Children who have not first learned to respect their parents may never learn to respect other people, and they may not really like themselves either.

Children who have not learned respect and obedience for their earthly fathers may really struggle with the concept of a heavenly Father: “Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live!” (Hebrews 12:9). Good dads show their kids how to do the hard jobs first and save the easy ones for last . . . how to keep their word . . . how to finish a job . . . how to defer pleasures and save money . . . how to accept responsibility.

When we dads do our job, we model the important structure and stability that our heavenly Father brings to our lives.