A new dad is blown away by the miracle God performs when He brings a baby into this world. It is a life-changing moment after months of anticipation with his bride to be at her side as their baby is born. The awe and wonder of this work of God falls back to earth shortly after returning home with a newborn 100% dependent on mom and dad.
It is a new chapter of life, a new leg of the race. Dads start out of the blocks well with good intentions and confidence that they will be the man, husband and father their new family needs. Then the days get longer and nights shorter. Mom’s time and energy are focused on the infant’s needs. Exhaustion and frustration can take their toll. Celebrate young dads by encouraging and equipping them in their first season of fathering.
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore, I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. – 1Corinthians 9:24-27. Paul’s charge to the church in Corinth provided an analogy they could relate to, athletics. Just as an athlete enters competition well trained and prepared, the church needs to be in good spiritual shape by living a disciplined lifestyle and actively engaging those in their immediate circles. The 4X100 relay is an example of a beautiful race when the team is well trained and prepared. The speed, agility and smooth exchange of the baton are music in motion. When the baton is dropped, it is not pretty and the sound of the baton hitting the ground reverberates across the stadium. A church in top shape has Godly men, husbands and fathers well prepared to come beside young dads on the fathering journey. Ideally all dads are prepared to pass the baton of faith and family values well to their kids. Unfortunately, many men have been on the receiving end of a failed exchange of the baton from dad. The baton was dropped and the impact on a young man’s mind can be thoughts of “not being good enough”, or “not having what it takes to be a man.” When the baton from dad has been dropped, men of God, fathers and father-figures in the Church, are charged to pick up the baton, celebrate young dads and invest in passing the baton of faith, fathering and Biblical manhood well to the next generation.
Celebrate Young Dads in your church by prayerfully considering the following:
- Start a fathering movement in your church. Click HERE for info;
- Give a new dad a jar of 936 marbles and watch this video with him;
- Order Seasons of Fathering and discuss the Teacher season with a young dad;
- Schedule a regular breakfast or lunch with a young dad in your circles.
Prayer guide: Father, thank You for Your Word and for being my Father. I confess I struggled with thoughts of “not being good enough” and “not having what it takes to be a man.” Forgive me for believing such lies. I praise You for the men You brought into my life who picked up the baton of my past, helped me celebrate who I am and Whose I am, and invested in me. Help me pass the baton of faith and family values well to my kids. That is the dad You call me to be and that’s the dad the next generation needs. Amen.
A faithful father takes the initiative to celebrate young dads.
