YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES

HEART

In 2004, a new television series came out, called Lost. It was about the survivors of a plane crash who found themselves stranded on an island. They thought their mission was to escape the island, but over time, they discovered the real reason they were there was not to find their way off the island, but to find their purpose on it.

Jack Shephard was one of the main characters in Lost. His destiny was to be a great leader, but fear and self-doubt held him back from living up to his full potential. There was pain from Jack’s past that made him insecure. He was always fighting the voice in his head that told him, “You don’t have what it takes, Jack.” Can you guess whose voice Jack heard over and over in his mind? It was the voice of the man who wounded his heart when he was young…his father. Jack wasn’t the only Lost character who carried the pain of a broken relationship with his dad. If you pay attention, you’ll see painful father-child wounds all over Lost, and written into many of the stories we know and love. Think about that deep, chilling voice coming from behind a pitch-black mask saying, “Luke, I am your Father.”

Why did George Lucas make Star Wars about the force between a father and his child? He knew that the father-child connection is one of the most powerful, undeniable, and irreplaceable forces in the universe.

Maybe you’ve got a wound in this area of your life. If you feel like you’re limping into dadhood, you’re in good company. From the beginning of time, evil has tried to break the trust between father and child. But Jesus tells us in John 10 that he’s got it under control. Healing is possible!

We may not have been able to control what kind of connection we had with our fathers, but we can choose what kind of connection our own children will have with us. All Jack Shephard wanted was to hear his dad say one simple thing. It’s something we all need to hear. So let me tell you what Jack longed to hear. Take it into your own heart, from me to you. You have what it takes, because of the love and support you have in God. You can be a great father because you have a Great Father.

Yes, you have what it takes to be the man – and the dad – you were created to be. It won’t be easy, but I hope you choose to answer the call. If you feel lost, consider this. Maybe you’re not meant to escape this challenge, but to find your purpose in it.

WORK

It’s normal to feel anxious about what this means for your future, but being a dad is one of the greatest things you’ll ever experience. Fatherhood is amazing, but it’s also challenging, so you’re going to need help along the way.

Each day of this reading plan, we’ll explore the HEART of being a dad, and then do some of the WORK. We will open our eyes to the truth, engage the tough questions, and try to be still and hear. Your Good Father wants to speak to you and through you in your family.

The United States Census Bureau has found that more than one in four children live without a dad in their home. This statistic reveals what is normal in culture, but what is ‘normal’ isn’t always healthy.

What are some ways that your own father has impacted your life? Try to answer honestly about both the good and the bad. If you grew up without a dad in your home, how has that impacted your life?

No matter what kind of father you had, you can choose what kind of father you’re going to be. Write down some thoughts about the kind of dad you want to be.

As you read the Bible verses for today, keep in mind that Jesus is real. He read this Psalm as a boy. His words that you’re about to read echo into your past, present, and future. He wants to help you get to know your Father God, and to help you be the dad he created you to be.