WHOOOHOOOO! It’s DAD Week at The M.O.M. Initiative and we are SO honored and excited to kick it off with a powerful ‘MUST READ’ post by Matthew Jacobson! It’s a time when we switch it up and YOU get to hear from the heart of a man about being a husband, a dad, and a man.
Not long ago, I ‘met’ Matthew’s wife, Lisa, through social media and I was instantly drawn to her heart for God and to minister to the hearts of women. He and his wife, Lisa, have an amazing ministry to families in which they meet moms, wives, dads and husbands right where they are and we are thrilled to have Matthew share our first post for DAD Week today!
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What Does It Really Take to Be a Father?
So, what does it take to become a father?
Not much, actually.
A few minutes of selfishness, thoughtlessness, and carelessness and voilà – A Child Is Born.
Congratulations . . . you’re a father.
It’s no big accomplishment, really. Any guy can father a child. The bar for fathering children is very low, so low, in fact, that lots of guys bail over it without a second thought.
. . . and then they bail. If there’s one thing the 21st century has tried to teach us it’s that Dads are dispensable.
But nobody asked the kids who stare down the road wondering when Dad is coming back. Ever been to an orphanage? They don’t think Dad doesn’t matter.
There is a unique space in the heart of every kid that only the love of a father can fill. Many single moms have done well but you’ll never meet one who will tell you their child didn’t need a father.
And that’s why Father’s Day is so much more than a card with a joke inside. It’s not about the guy who brought someone into the world. Biology doesn’t make a father.
The real father is the man who quietly steps up and lays down his life day after day, doing all those unseen things that say, I’m there for you; I love you; your needs come before mine; you are an important, valuable person.
Dad, you matter.
Who thought you were the man for the job of being “Daddy”? God did. We often think, “I’m so blessed to have these kids.” And, that’s true, but something else is true, as well. You’re kids are blessed to have you as their dad. God chose you not only to be a father, but to be the father of the specific children you have.
From God’s perspective, you are His blessing to your children. God wants your children to know about Him and He picked you out of all the dad’s on earth to make it happen. Read Deuteronomy 6.
So, the next time your tempted to think your not that important – that you’re not getting anywhere, the next time you see an advertisement with a mocking reference to the buffoon dad, the next time you wonder if what you’re doing matters over the long haul, remember, God doesn’t make mistakes.
He chose you, Dad.
He chose you for His purposes and His plan. That’s one of the great comforts we Dads can take in knowing God. He always has a plan. It may not be apparent in those everyday moments that often seem unimportant but faithful fatherhood is a marathon, not a sprint.
You matter, Dad. You matter because God chose you and you’re there, day after day, faithfully doing all those things that add up to being a loving dad. And that’s becoming an increasingly rare gift to kids, these days. Your quiet faithfulness does not go unnoticed by your Heavenly Father.
To all the Dads out there: Happy Father’s Day
*Check out Matthew’s book, 100 Ways to Love Your Wife, and the companion book, written by his wife, Lisa, 100 Ways to Love Your Husband.
Matthew L Jacobson is an author, president of Loyal Arts Literary Agency, and teaching elder in the local church. He’s married to Lisa, and together they’re bringing up their 8 children on a small acreage in the Pacific NW. When they’re not gardening or reading, you’ll find them holding hands, sipping Peet’s coffee, or deep into conversation with some – or all – of their children. You can find him on Facebook, Twitter@MLJacobson, and his website, matthewljacobson.com.
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