I’ll start off by saying what you already know. There is no silver bullet or magic potion when it comes to making great dads. I wish it were that easy, as it could have saved me from many painful fatherhood fiascos. Yet, we can gain great insights from Scripture and from gleaning from some godly fathers that have gone before us.
Over the past decade, I’ve been blessed to serve alongside men doing all they can to be the best dads they can be. While each one of these men have their unique styles, they definitely share some common traits or focus points that make them effective within their fatherhood roles. I have personally been blessed by being around these men and want to share some of the insights I’ve gained.
Some of these should be no-brainers. However, if you’re like me, we sometimes need reminded of the basics. My dad was great in driving this point home. He often related this truth to sports. However, the veracity of this maxim holds true in almost any area of life: If something isn’t going well, make sure the fundamentals or basics are getting done. Too often during life’s chaotic times, we forget the basics and pay the price. As a matter of fact, I’ll go ahead and include this fatherhood truism within our 10 Traits of Great Dads.
10 Traits of Effective Dads
- They keep their lives de-compartmentalized. They are the same man, husband and father regardless of where and when. This directly connects to the character of these men. None are perfect, but I would trust everyone of them with my kids.
- They realize that their manhood and fatherhood is directly tied to their relationship with God. This means time in God’s Word, time in prayer and time with God’s people is an essential part of their lives.
- If still married, they uphold their wives as their number one friend and co-worker in life. They realize that loving their wives is one of the greatest things they could ever give their kids and they protect their marriage like it’s their life.
- They practice the discipline of meekness. They exemplify the combination of humility and strength. Men need to be strong for their families not at their families. These great dads get this idea well. In these homes, yelling and abuse of any kind is never tolerated.
- They’ve tied their hearts to the hearts of their children. There is a very special God-given bond that they cherish and cultivate on a daily basis. This means they are always looking to create heart-moments with their kids, especially when it comes to sharing God’s love and truth with them.
[Click here to read the rest of this great article by JT Waresak]
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MENTENTIONAL 