Every Team Needs A Coach

Today is the day set aside to honor all the fathers who provide, however modestly, for their families; who are generous, who care deeply for their wives and children, who rejoice when the children learn from their mistakes, and who express their affection freely. If all these fathers, even if they are not Christians, are able to be good fathers, then all the more, the Christian fathers should be able to become even better fathers because we have a model of our Heavenly Father and we can access the wisdom from the Word of God. Christian fathers get their strength from the relationship they enjoy with their Heavenly Father. They are aware that following Biblical principles in parenting will have positive influence on their children.

The foremost of these principles is carrying the Leadership role in the home. If parenting is a teamwork (of both mother and father and in some cases, of extended families), then, this team needs a coach – and that duty falls on the shoulders of the father.

Give priority to this task. Too many fathers have allowed other things to become more important than leading their family. They usually delegate more crucial decision-making and home-related activities to their wives. Stu Webber in his book “The Four Pillars of Man,” wrote, “A man’s greatest title is not Dr. So and So, or Professor, or General, or Mr. Vice-President. The highest office in the land is not in the White House. (He’s an American). It is in your house!”

Actively participate in bringing up your children. A father’s influence increases when he is close to the process of guiding children. You can inform from a distance, but you influence through personal involvement. Fathers must be involved in all areas of nurturing our children not just providing for tuition payment or driving the children to school. Fatherhood is not a sometime thing. Instead it is an “all the time thing.” When Moses instructed Israel about the father’s role in leading children, he stressed the ongoing aspect of parenting. Deuteronomy 6:1-9 says to lead children to fear the Lord by instructing them when you sit at home, walk along the road, lie down, and when you get up.

Chuck Swindoll, in his book “The Strong Family,” described the greatest contribution that a parent can make “is to help your child cultivate a lasting and meaningful relationship with the Living God. If your child is launched from your nest secure in Christ and confident that he has been designed by God to fulfill a special calling, equipped with the tools to handle the demands of everyday life, then you have done your job.”