Read Previous Articles in this Series:
Biblical Exhortations to Dads #1: Imitate Your Heavenly Father
Biblical Exhortations to Dads #2: Love Your Wife and Children
Biblical Exhortations to Dads #3: Lead Your Family
Biblical Exhortations to Dads #4: Provide for Your Family
Biblical Exhortations to Dads #5: Protect Your Family’
Biblical Exhortations to Dads #6: Disciple Your Children
Biblical Exhortations to Dads #7: Discipline Your Children
Biblical Exhortations to Dads #8: Pray For Your Children
Biblical Exhortations to Dads #9: Guard Your Heart
How can we be dads who honor God and bless our families?
Thankfully, God has told us in His Word what He expects from fathers. In this series of articles, we’ve been going through a list of biblical exhortations for fathers. We’ve previously explored the following exhortations:
- Imitate Your Heavenly Father
- Love Your Wife and Children
- Lead Your Family
- Provide for Your Family
- Protect Your Family
- Disciple Your Children
- Discipline Your Children
- Pray for Your Children
- Guard Your Heart
Let’s review the next exhortation on our list.
Enjoy Your Children
This may seem like an obvious and odd thing to exhort fathers to do. However, as fathers, you probably know that parenting is not always enjoyable. It’s sometimes very hard.
You may be in a season of life where you’re exhausted and discouraged. Maybe you feel like your parenting responsibilities are a crushing burden. In those times, you need to remind yourself that God has given you children as a blessing.
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate (Ps 127:3-5).
This passage says that children are a heritage (or an inheritance) from the Lord. Scripture teaches that God is sovereign over all things, including conception. From God’s perspective, there are no accidental pregnancies. God determines when a child is born and he determines who He will give them to. God has sovereignly determined for you to be the parents of your specific children.
This passage also says that having children is a reward. It is a blessing from God. It is a gift. In light of that, it is a good and godly thing for us to enjoy our children.
I’ve found that every stage of parenting has great joys associated with it. Snuggling a newborn baby. Watching a toddler be filled with wonder and joy as they learn something new. Hearing the unexpected and funny things that preschool-aged children say. Watching school-aged children mature and grow. Seeing teenagers take on more responsibility and independence.
Cherish those moments. I’m still in the midst of my parenting journey, but I have found this famous parenting adage to be true: “The days are long, but the years are short.” Enjoy your children, especially while they’re still living at home with you!
Every person is made in the image of God. Enjoy each child for the unique individual God has made them. Enjoy their personality quirks, their interests, their gifting, and their sense of humor.
Notice how Scripture describes the joy of a family that is blessed by the Lord:
Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways! You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord (Ps 128:1-4).
Fathers, your children are a blessing from God for you to enjoy.