Fathers Say…Sýnishorn

Sticks and Stones

We’ve all heard that saying “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” I’m not sure who came up with that, but nothing could be further from the truth. As a matter of fact, the reverse may be truer. A broken bone often will mend better with less pain than a broken heart or a crushed spirit caused by disparaging words. And there is no more obvious example than the angry and insensitive words that come from the mouth of a father directed to his child.

As dads, we are entrusted with the physical, emotional, and spiritual welfare of our children. When we disparage the God-given characteristics of our children, we place weights upon the development of their self‐esteem, their learning capabilities, and their view toward the world and their place in it.

Even worse may be the epidemic of abusive and absentee fathers. The one common denominator of many of society’s ills—pornography, human trafficking, abortion, rape, murder, alcoholism, teen suicide, and incarceration—can be traced to abusive and absentee fathers.

Men who have abdicated their roles as fathers are the single greatest problem in society today. Conversely, those fathers who have spoken words of encouragement and love to their children, mixed in with some good common sense, have sown into their hearts and minds the necessary ingredients for reaping healthy identities and self‐images that have propelled them to success in life.

In Ephesians 6:4, there’s an admonition for fathers to not exasperate their children. A modern translation states: “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.“

Notice that discipline and instruction are not associated with getting your kids angry. Just the opposite. God’s ways of instruction and discipline are kind and gentle, achieving positive results in the hearts of children as they mature into well‐balanced adults.

Basically, what fathers SAY will determine their child’s way!

Question: Today, what one thing can you say to your children that will encourage them toward a positive outlook in life?