Jesus may have asked the question, "Where's Joseph?" but his heavenly Father filled in the gaps. As dads, it's common to feel like we're just preparing our kids for future counseling. We aren't always there, we say the wrong things, we like shiny objects more than snotty kids. Looking at how God interacted with Jesus, we can pick up a few uncommon tips that may just up our dad game.

A father affirms. God affirmed Jesus. The Father literally broke open the skies to exclaim to the world, "I love this dude!" Although it often translates as, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." And it wasn't a one and done discussion, God repeatedly spoke affirmation to his son: at his baptism (Mark 1:11) and after Peter tried to put Jesus where he didn't belong (Matthew 17:5). The Father was quick to let the world know how much he loved his son.

A father is present physically and emotionally. Scriptures say that every morning, Jesus and his dad shared a cup of java. We call it prayer (Mark 1:35). The disciples observed Jesus meeting so regularly with Dad, they asked him to teach them how to pray. Jesus said simply, "Pray like this, 'Our Father...'" (Matthew 6:9).

A father disciplines. It seemed like whenever Jesus met with his Father, he left a more resolved man. Whether it was before he started his ministry (Mark 1:35-39), or after he and his Dad took on Satan in the wilderness (Luke 4:1-15), or before he started down the way of suffering (Matthew 26:36-46), Jesus practiced the presence of the Father. It's fair to say in those moments, Jesus grew in confidence, learned how to deal with difficult situations, endured discipline, and even experienced correction. Though Jesus never sinned, God the Father corrected our sin by placing it on his Son.

A father forgives. After Jesus died on the cross for our sins, God the Father restored him fully. Our kids are going to mess up, but it doesn't change their identity as our kids. After we discipline them, we remind them that nothing can separate them from the love of their dad (Romans 8:28). Their past doesn't define or diminish their standing as our children.

We don't know what kind of father Joseph was, but we see how God fathered Jesus. Maybe your dad lacked in one of those areas: affirmation, presence, discipline, or forgiveness. The Bible says we have a high priest who walked in our shoes (Hebrews 4:15-16). He knows what we received or missed from dad and modeled for us how to seek it from the only dad who is perfect - our Heavenly Father.

Dee Lanier
Head Coach, UNCOMMEN