A Father's PathSýnishorn

Taking Responsibility

Abraham Lincoln once said, “You have to do your own growing, no matter how tall your grandfather was.” His point is simple: every person needs to take responsibility for growing their own lives and not just ride on the coattails of their father or grandfather.

Entitlement is the idea that we have the right to something, and this way of thinking is a deep reality in our culture. Children who are entitled believe the world owes them everything, and nothing wrong in their lives is their own fault.

As Paul is mentoring his spiritual son, Timothy, he tells Timothy that he needs to train himself for godliness (1 Timothy 4:7). He calls Timothy to take responsibility for his own spiritual development.

In our efforts to raise godly children who remain faithful to God even when we are not around, dads must teach children to take responsibility.

When they are fired from their first job, help them take responsibility for their part in losing the job. When they want to buy something significant, help them save the money they need rather than just relying on you.

Take an honest inventory of where your children are riding on your coattails; identify the areas where they believe they have a right to something, even if they have not earned it.

Take some time and consider how you might help your child to train themselves by being an encourager and a coach rather than an enabler that is feeding any entitlement.

Prayer: Father, help me to raise strong children who are mature enough to stand on their own feet and make their own way. Give me the tools I need to help them get there. Amen.

Reflection: Are there any areas you can see in your kids that might need some attention? What are some tangible things you might do to speak into the situation?