Which of the following are similar to the ways you've served Christ in your family? [check all that apply]
• Taught your kids to see God's glory in nature
• Washed the dishes without being asked
• Played a board game with your kids
• Encouraged your wife to finish her master's degree
• Attended a child's open house at school
• Worked fewer hours to be with your family
• Set an example of a godly prayer life for your children
• Held a crying child
• Swung on the tire swing with your daughter
• Told your wife why you're still in love with her
• Told your son he's got what it takes
• Coached soccer
• Let you child correct you now and then
• Fixed the vacuum cleaner
• Taught your sons to ride a bike
• Listened patiently to a complaint of your wife
• Taped your child's artwork to your office wall
• Admitted to your kids that you were wrong
• Told your children how Christ entered your life
• Cleaned up vomit
• Taught your children to love books
• Been romantic without expecting sex
• Told your daughter she's smart/beautiful
• Set standards for your kids and stuck to them
• Dealt graciously with a busybody neighbor
• Peeled carrots
• Watched movies together
The AF Virus Theme of the Week: Classy Dads Monday, August 2, 2004
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Men of IntegrityJuly/August 2004The AF VirusTheme of the Week: Classy DadsMonday, August 274
Key Bible Verse: Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land (Exodus 20:12). Bonus Reading:Ephesians 6:1—4
Have you noticed how dads fare in our culture? On TV, most dads are depicted as bozos married to wise women who must basically mother their husbands. She's always right, he seldom is. And the movies are no better.
Not too many years ago, good dads were "in" culturally. Then, amid objections that such dads were a rarity, the pendulum swung. Dads became losers, jerks. Even animated dads, such as Homer Simpson, are portrayed as ineffectual or worse.
Guys, this is fiction—big time. Don't buy into this cultural shift that demeans you and your God-assigned role. Turn off the TV when your role is under attack. Don't go to movies that portray men as immoral self-seekers. Otherwise, you'll begin to accept these messages that emasculate fatherhood and doubt your abilities as a dad. Your kids will pick up on your lack of confidence.
Tragically, many problems our society faces are rooted in the destruction of fatherhood and ensuing breakup of the family. Unless you resist, your family will be affected by this AntiFamily Virus. Help turn the tide. Celebrate fatherhood, restoring it to a place of honor and respect.
—Nick Harrison & Steve Miller in Survival Guide for New DadsAdapted from Survival Guide for New Dads (Harvest, 2003) by permission.
My Response: One way I could resist the erosion of respect for dads would be …
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