The First GiftSample

The Gift of Love

Deciding to become a father isn’t an easy choice. Many of us planned the conception of our children with our wives, while some of us may not have been anticipating such a beautiful miracle. The Lord said, “be fruitful and multiply” so we know that life is beautiful, although we may not always feel the joy behind our decisions.

It began by him creating us. When he created us, he fearfully and wonderfully made us in His image: isn’t that amazing? We are heirs to a God that gave us his very best and is always faithful to us. He chose to love us through the good and the bad times. He knew that we would fall short, yet, He loves us unconditionally. God has given us the gift of love so we can love our children unconditionally.

Jesus gave us the gift of love because love never fails. Think about it; when we love something or someone, we’re willing to do anything to keep it. Love gives us the strength to keep going even when we’re hurt, tired, angry, frustrated sad, anxious or discouraged. Jesus has called us to love our children the way that He loves us. Just like we love Jesus because he first loved us, our children should have the same narrative about us.

God’s two greatest commandments are to love him with everything and to love our neighbor as ourselves. This means loving everyone fully.

When we’re feeling inadequate or ill-prepared for fatherhood, remember that Jesus said that love conquers everything. Any barriers that we may be facing, Jesus has already equipped us with love to withstand it and to escape it. The Lord has given us the spirit of love; therefore, he’s given us the gift of love to love our wives and children fully.

How can we love? We can love by first and foremost simply deciding to love. It’s essential for us to make the right, so I encourage you to choose to love your child. Choose to accompany your wife to the prenatal appointments. Choose to pick up your wife’s prenatal vitamins on your way home from work. Choose to read to your child while in your wife’s womb each night before bed. And most importantly, choose to pray over your wife and child before and at the end of each day.

The gift of love allows us to be consistent in how we treat our children. We want to become accustomed to treating our children with love, so what better way to start than with them in the womb. A baby can hear as early as 16 weeks in the womb, and it's found that when you speak to a child in the womb, they will know your voice outside too. If God loved us before we came to earth, then why can’t we love our child before their arrival? The gift of love allows you to bond with your child in a way that makes your connection unbreakable. Extend the gift of love to your child, and you will not only be honoring your child but our Lord.

Uncommen Questions: 

Have you reaped the benefits of the gift of love from your biological father? 

How or how not?

How can you extend the gift of love to your child today?

Scripture References:
Psalm 127:3
Genesis 1:28
1 Corinthians 13:8