Overcoming Angst: Fatherhood when you Put God First

Fatherhood is a journey filled with both joy and challenges. As dads, we often face moments of angst, self-doubt and anxiety, wondering if we are living up to the expectations we set for ourselves and our families. This “fatherhood angst” can be overwhelming, but by turning to biblical principles, we can find guidance, strength, and reassurance. In this article, we will explore key scriptures that offer wisdom and practical applications for becoming a godly father who prioritizes his relationship with God, his spouse, and his children. Let’s embark on this journey together, embracing the divine wisdom that can transform our approach to fatherhood.

Self-Reflection and Growth: Embracing God’s Discipline

Scripture: Proverbs 3:11-12 - “My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.”

As fathers, embracing God’s discipline is crucial for our personal growth and the well-being of our families. Proverbs 3:11-12 reminds us that God’s discipline is a sign of His love. By regularly reflecting on our actions and decisions, we can seek God’s guidance through prayer and scripture to improve and grow in our role. Let’s be the dads who take this to heart and put it into practice, ensuring we are always striving to be better.

Mirroring Emotions: Leading with Love and Patience

Scripture: Ephesians 6:4 - “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”

Leading with love and patience is essential, as highlighted in Ephesians 6:4. Our emotions and actions directly influence our children, so we must be mindful of our responses. Practicing patience and understanding ensures that our actions reflect the love and discipline of the Lord. Let’s be the dads who embody this principle, creating a loving and secure environment for our children.

Parental Expectations: Encouraging Without Discouraging

Scripture: Colossians 3:21 - “Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.”

Colossians 3:21 teaches us the importance of nurturing and encouraging our children without placing undue pressure on them. This builds their confidence and faith. By setting realistic expectations and celebrating our children’s efforts and achievements with positive reinforcement and support, we can avoid discouraging them. Let’s be the dads who encourage without discouraging, fostering a positive and supportive atmosphere.

Role Modeling: Guiding by Example

Scripture: Proverbs 22:6 - “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”

Proverbs 22:6 emphasizes the long-term impact of a father’s guidance and example. Our actions set a lasting foundation for our children’s lives. By living out our faith and values consistently, demonstrating integrity, kindness, and devotion to God in our daily actions, we guide our children by example. Let’s be the dads who lead by example, ensuring our children have a strong moral and spiritual foundation.

God’s Compassion: Reflecting Divine Love

Scripture: Psalm 103:13 - “As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.”

Psalm 103:13 reflects the compassionate nature of God as a model for fathers. Showing compassion and understanding mirrors God’s love for us. By being compassionate and empathetic towards our children, listening to their concerns, and providing comfort and guidance, we reflect divine love. Let’s be the dads who show compassion, creating a nurturing and loving home.

Strength and Courage: Trusting in God’s Presence

Scripture: Joshua 1:9 - “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9 encourages us to draw strength and courage from God’s constant presence. Facing parenting challenges with confidence, knowing that God is with us, is crucial. By leaning on God for strength and guidance in difficult times, we can be strong and courageous fathers. Let’s be the dads who trust in God’s presence, facing challenges with faith and confidence.

Prioritizing God, Spouse, and Children

Scripture: Matthew 6:33 - “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Finally, Matthew 6:33 teaches us to prioritize our relationship with God above all else, ensuring everything else falls into place. By making time for daily prayer and scripture reading, we ensure our relationship with God is the foundation of our lives, followed by our commitment to our spouse and children. Let’s be the dads who put God first, our wives second, and our children third, creating a balanced and faithful family life.

Navigating the complexities of fatherhood requires more than just good intentions; it demands a foundation built on faith and biblical principles. By embracing God’s discipline, leading with love and patience, encouraging our children, guiding by example, showing compassion, and drawing strength from God’s presence, we can overcome the angst that often accompanies our role as fathers. Prioritizing our relationship with God above all else ensures that we can be the best fathers, husbands, and men we are called to be. Let’s commit to putting these principles into practice, trusting that with God’s guidance, we can triumph over fatherhood angst and lead our families with unwavering faith and love.

Topic: MIRROR ANGST

Verse: James 1:25

'But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. '

Let’s be the dads who spend time in God’s Word to discover true freedome and never forget it. Today let’s choose to walk in the blessings of God that come from living in a relationship with Him above all else. Let’s be the dads who put God first, our wives second, and our kids third so that anything of this world cannot come ahead of those priorities.

We need to focus like God on the heart rather angst of what we see in the mirror

Today’s devotional starts speaking of a study performed on “women in their forties and fifties” to get their insight into their happiness when looking into a mirror. “According to the report, middle aged women were four times unhappier than teenage girls with what they saw in the mirror.” As we start today, how do you feel about the dad you are when you look at yourself through the mirror of fatherhood? We need to take it beyond our physical appearances and dig deeper into the state of our hearts and minds.

Resist the angst by focusing on Jesus

Today’s devotional provides a powerful reminder “for Christians, time enhances our appearance because the joy of the Lord shines through.” As dads, we need to be choosing to live our lives to become more and more like our Heavenly Father. Let’s take a moment to consider what scripture has to say when it comes to our wives and kids.

Be The Dads our wives need us to be:

Here are some scripture references and insights on how we can strive to be better dads with less angst, reflecting the love and care our Heavenly Father shows us:

1. Ephesians 5:25: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” This verse calls us to love our wives sacrificially, putting their needs above our own.
2. 1 Peter 3:7: “Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.” This emphasizes understanding, respect, and honoring our wives.
3. Colossians 3:19: “Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.” Kindness and gentleness are key in our interactions with our wives.
4. Proverbs 18:22: “He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.” Recognizing the blessing that our wives are and valuing them accordingly.
5. Genesis 2:24: “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.” This speaks to the unity and partnership in marriage.
6. 1 Corinthians 7:3-4: “The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife.” This highlights mutual respect and selflessness in marriage.
7. Malachi 2:14-15: “You ask, ‘Why?’ It is because the Lord is the witness between you and the wife of your youth. You have been unfaithful to her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant.” This reminds us of the importance of faithfulness and commitment.

By embodying these principles, we can strive to be loving, respectful, and supportive husbands, reflecting the love and care that God shows us.

Be The Dads our kids need us to be:

Here are some scripture references and insights on how we can strive to be better fathers with less angst:

1. Ephesians 6:4: “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” This verse emphasizes the importance of nurturing and guiding our children with love and patience.
2. Colossians 3:21: “Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.” It’s crucial to encourage and support our children, avoiding actions that might discourage or frustrate them.
3. Proverbs 22:6: “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.” This highlights the long-term impact of instilling good values and faith in our children from a young age.
4. Psalm 103:13: “Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.” Showing compassion and understanding mirrors the love and mercy God shows us.
5. Proverbs 3:11-12: “My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.” Discipline, when done in love, is a form of care and guidance.
6. 1 Corinthians 16:14: “Let all that you do be done in love.” This is a reminder that love should be the foundation of all our actions as fathers.

By embodying these principles, we can strive to be more like our Heavenly Father in our relationships with our wives and children. This means being patient, compassionate, loving, and disciplined, always seeking to guide and support our families in a way that honors God.

Today’s devotional continues on the topic of Christian life when it says that “as we age, let us seek to take on the ‘incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, whichis very precious in the sight of God’ (1 Peter 3:4).”

Mirror Angst comes by looking at the wrong mirror

Today’s devotional challenges us to change our perspective and where we turn to look and determine who we are and how we are doing. Are you feeling the angst of trying to live up to someone else as a dad? Are you looking at them as your mirror of what a good dad looks like? Today’s devotional tells us that it is “much better to gaze into the mirror of God’s Word!” It goes on to point out how “James says that the law is a mirror to show us what we’re like.”

We need to be the dads who look at ourselves through the mirror of Jesus just like Jesus does when we’ve accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Today’s devotional speaks to how “without Christ, all we see are the wrinkles of wickedness and the ghostly pallor of despair.” Let’s be the dads who choose to resist and reject that model and choose to live our lives “with Christ” because then “looking into God’s Word doesn’t bring condemnation or judgment.”

The Challenge against Angst:

“Study His Word today and see the mirror image of Christ.”

“The mirror of the Word not only examines us and reveals our sins, but it helps to cleanse us as well.”

WARREN W. WIERSBE