5 Mistakes Godly Dads Avoid or OvercomeSample

Mistake #4: Not being selfless

Philippians 2:3 says, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” As a kid who spent thousands of hours on baseball fields, my dad and I would often be the last two people to leave at night. We would walk this long, grassy area behind the fields and he would flip huge switches to shut off the lights. The giant electrical boxes were intimidating. Then, total darkness swallowed us all the way to the car.

Dad never let me flip those switches. Something about “electric shock” and “death.” He never wanted to put me in danger. As a kid, this taught me a much-needed lesson about sacrifice. Sometimes, you have to take the risk for your family and count others more important than yourself.

Be selfless and serve your family. You should be ready to serve your family. It’s what Jesus did. He stepped in and took all the risk. He took all the sin on our behalf, so that we could walk in life. He considered you and me more significant than Himself. Being selfless won’t look like a scene from a Mel Gibson film. We aren’t usually charging into actual battle or risking real death.

Today, give your son the last cookie without complaint. Let your daughter have the best seat on the sofa for movie night. Give your wife the last bite of the fudge brownie dessert (I know. I’m pushing it there). These small acts are simple ways to count others more significant than yourself. Giving up your own desires will look a lot like Jesus to those closest to you.