God has provided us with a love letter from Him in the form of the Bible. Some have even gone as far as to create snippets from it and called Father’s Love Letter with video, audio, and other resources to help share this truth. Today, let’s choose to answer the call to accept and obey God’s commandments and walk in obedience to them! Let’s go beyond saying “I love you” and start modeling what love is and looks like to our wives, kids, and world.
Sacrificial Love:
Reflect the sacrificial love of Christ in your actions. Put the needs of your family above your own, demonstrating a willingness to make personal sacrifices for their well-being.
Nurturing and Providing:
In the same way that God provides for His children, fathers are called to provide for their families. This includes not just financial provision but also emotional and spiritual support.
Discipline with Love:
Proverbs 3:12 (NIV) states, “because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.” Discipline is an essential aspect of love, but it should be administered with wisdom, patience, and a desire for the child’s growth and well-being.
Teaching and Guiding:
As a father, you are called to teach and guide your children in the ways of the Lord. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (NIV) instructs, “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”
Encouragement and Affirmation:
Use your words to build up and affirm your wife and children. Encourage them in their strengths, and provide a safe and supportive environment for them to grow.
Unconditional Love:
Love your family unconditionally, just as God loves us despite our imperfections. Romans 5:8 (NIV) reminds us, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Spending Quality Time:
Show love by investing time in your family. Whether through shared activities, conversations, or family rituals, quality time fosters a deeper connection.
How we can choose to model love:
In summary, the love of a father, according to the Bible, involves sacrificial love, provision, discipline with wisdom, teaching and guiding in the ways of the Lord, encouragement, and unconditional love. By embodying these principles, you can reflect the love that God has for His children in your relationships with your wife and kids.
Today’s Verse of the Day:
The person who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who [really] loves Me; and whoever [really] loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him [I will make Myself real to him].”
John 14:21 AMP
Firstly, let’s be the dads who meditate on God’s Word and have His commandments written on our hearts and stored in our mind so that we can aim to obey them as we walk out this life. Secondly, let’s be the dads who love Jesus modeled by following after Him and His commands summarized through love God and love people. Finally, let’s be the dads who are walking in the love of Jesus and under the love of God, modeling and demonstrating God’s love in and through our lives!
How can we put today’s verse of the day into practice and apply it in all that we do for the benefit of meeting the needs of our wives and kids? What can we take from it that will help us to live up to God’s calling on our lives to be the dads in ways that will bring Him the glory?
Applications of John 14:21 to help us be the dads who are filled with the love of God and overflowing into the lives of our wives, kids, and world:
- Internalize God’s Commandments:
- Meditate on God’s Word regularly.
- Allow His commandments to be written on your heart and mind.
- Obedience as an Expression of Love:
- Demonstrate your love for God by obeying His commandments.
- Show your children the importance of obedience as an expression of love.
- Seek a Deeper Relationship with God:
- Foster a closer connection with God through prayer and seeking His presence.
- Cultivate a relationship that reflects love for Him in all aspects of life.
- Experience God’s Love:
- Understand that obedience leads to experiencing God’s love more fully.
- Share with your family how your relationship with God impacts your capacity to love them.
- Reflect God’s Love in Your Actions:
- Let your actions toward your wife and children mirror God’s sacrificial and unconditional love.
- Prioritize their needs above your own, showing selfless love.
- Encourage Family Members in Their Faith:
- Foster an environment where faith is discussed and shared.
- Encourage your family members in their spiritual journeys.
- Teach and Model Christlikeness:
- Use your life as a teaching tool, showcasing the principles of love and righteousness.
- Model the character of Christ in your daily interactions.
- Create a Loving and Supportive Atmosphere:
- Provide emotional and spiritual support for your family.
- Create an atmosphere where love and encouragement thrive.
- Invest Quality Time:
- Spend quality time with your family, engaging in activities that foster connection.
- Use these moments to share God’s love and wisdom.
- Express Love Unconditionally:
- Love your family members regardless of their imperfections.
- Embrace them with the kind of love that God has demonstrated to us.
Benefits of Applying God’s Word and Putting it into Practice:
By applying these principles in your life as a father, you can reflect the love of God as outlined in John 14:21. Remember that living out God’s love is an ongoing journey, and as you strive to model His love, you will contribute to the well-being and spiritual growth of your family, bringing glory to God in the process.
