5 Mistakes Godly Dads Avoid or OvercomeSample

Mistake #1: Letting fear hold you back

We called it “The Big Field.” As kids, we played on four different fields every moment of Summer. This one field was the biggest. It was for the older guys. As a younger kid, I was afraid of the big field. The pitches were faster and you had to hit a ball 325 feet to get it over the fence. I feared, “I’ll never play on that field.”

God says a lot about fear. Psalm 118:6 says, “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” The psalmist wasn’t afraid because God was on his side. You and I can walk with that same understanding. As a husband and father, you’re called to step up in life. It’s frightening. Can you really play on that bigger field?

Don’t let fear keep you down. We can get off track when we are plagued by questions. The questions become more and more self-centered. Can I hit those faster pitches? Can I run between those bases? How big of a fool will I make of myself? The fears are selfish. But the answer is rarely for you to do more or be more. The world will tell you to work harder. God says it’s not about you, but about Him, and resting in Him.

What’s your biggest fear? Is it confessing a sin to your wife? Is it addressing how your adult son seems to be distant?

What bigger field is God asking you to step up to right now?

Do you believe God will be with you? Paul wrote, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10). Recognize the fear – give it to God – and step up to the bigger field. Believe that God will help you be the dad your family needs. Confront your fear – for yourself, your wife, and your kids.