Joel M Bradshaw

11You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD!
He is their help and their shield.–Psalm 115

This verse stood out to me this Father’s Day. Fear and trust describe a kid’s response to their father. I saw something the other day about a mom whose kids were rambunctious and not listening to her all day. Then daddy came home from work and with a booming voice was able to get the kids’ attention and tell them to listen to their mother. There’s something about a healthy fear of dad that garners instant respect. When nobody in the house can open the jar, but Dad can, that communicates something.

But kids also learn to trust Dad. Dad’s get the reputations of being able to fix anything or handle anything. Adult children may not call their fathers all the time, but they certainly do when something goes wrong in the house or car. Dad’s opinion matters.

I know that at a certain level I feared my Dad. I trusted my Dad and looked for his approval. Dad was the one I called when my car had issues. I wish I had called him more for other things. I bet he and I would have great calls right now talking nothing but baseball.

My wife was trying to brush one of our dogs and get some matting out of her fur. And it was turning into a two person job. So my role was to hold her firmly as she tried to wiggle away while Jen worked the brush and the scissors. The poor dog was shaking and terrified but I held her gently and firmly. My strength was used to keep her still and protect her while my wife trimmed her fur. My voice aimed to soothe her and calm her. But the soothing and calming would come later when she jumped up into Mama’s arms. My role was to hold her still and keep her safe. That was a great Daddy role.

Dads are a stable presence in their kids’ lives. They bring boundaries, authority, and love. Kids trust their dads and appreciate when Dad is around. Life is always more fun when Dad is around! I’m honored to have had a Dad that I both feared and trusted.

I aim to be a Dad that both fears and trusts God and passes those attitudes to my children. I expect my children to listen and obey their mother and me, and I am grateful that they trust us to lead them.

When Dad is absent, society crumbles. Dads are necessary and when most appropriate, are great reminders of God. The earthly father’s influence should point to the Heavenly Father. We are to fear and trust God. Some of us may have had untrustworthy fathers or ones that abused that fear. Maybe Dad was absent or when he was present, he was destructive. Even if you have found yourself distancing from your Dad’s influence, I encourage you to intentionally pursue closeness with God, your Heavenly Father. He is worthy of your trust.

I miss my Dad. I also am so glad that I am a Dad. My wife and children are the joys of my life. Verses like today’s remind Dads to stay intentional about the right things, to invest in those relationships, to maximize their influence for the glory of God. Happy Father’s Day!–JMB