What's a Father to Do?
Theme of the week: Dads on a Mission
Sunday, July 22, 2012
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Who Said It … Mark Merrill
Mark Merrill is the founder and president of Family First, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening the family. Mark's new book All Pro Dad includes insights from interviews he conducted with NBC sports commentator Tony Dungy, Chick-fil-A CEO Truett Cathy, Christian recording artist Michael W. Smith, and others. Mark and his wife, Susan, have five children.
What he Said … What's a Father to Do?
There is a lot of false thinking about the role of a father. The media definitely has shaped the way we think. Out of all the programs on TV right now, how many depict a strong man loving and leading his family? There are a few shining fatherhood lights from the past, like The Cosby Show, but for the most part, dads are portrayed as buffoons like Homer Simpson.
This is not just limited to television. Musicians often sing about things like one-night stands with women they meet in a bar, hoping their wife doesn't find out. And many Internet advertisements do their best to entice you away from being a one-woman man and tempt you to find personal freedom away from your family.
In addition to media messages that downplay the importance of fatherhood, we've been taught that a father is relegated to being a provider, protector, and punisher. While it's true that a father should meet the financial needs of his family, protect them, and appropriately discipline his children, if that's all he does, he will have failed as a father.
Key Study Passage: Psalm 78:1-8
Adapted from All Pro Dad (Thomas Nelson, 2012) by permission. All rights reserved by the copyright holder and/or the publisher. May not be reproduced.
Copyright © 2012 by Christianity Today/Men of Integrity magazine. Click here for reprint information on Men of Integrity. 1 of 1
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Heavenly Father, show me what it means to be a loving dad; forgive me when I fail to love and lead my kids as I should; thank you for each little parenting victory I experience through your mercy and grace.
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