Hope for fathers

A parenting plan, written out and agreed on with your wife, can do wonders for building unity in your marriage and for creating consistency and effectiveness in your parenting. Evergreen church in Lakeville, MN introduced this to me and it has entirely changed how I parent my children. I’m getting it set up to pass on to you. Details coming. Let’s seek the Lord’s help together in parenting.

I’m praying for you, dads.
Andy

When I ask this question it gives me a way to be a more loving father, even when I feel tired and frustrated. It changes my attitude from a desire to punish and condemn to a desire to support and help. I am grateful beyond measure to have this tool in my back pocket and I only wish that I remembered it more often.

The question is, “What would love do?”

Sometimes I’ll ask this question to myself when everything is going fine just to add a touch more of love to my relationship with my kids. Sometimes I’ll ask it when I start getting frustrated with them, sometimes out loud so they can hear me making an effort to move toward a loving attitude. Once, after I asked “What would love do?” out loud, my six-year-old answered the question for me. I humbled myself and said “Yep, you’re right,” and then took his advice.

My hope for you and me is that we will choose to be slaves to love. If we are slaves to love, who are we really slaves to?

“…God is love.” -1st John 4:8b CSB.

“…as slaves of Christ, do God’s will from your heart.” -Ephesians 6:6b CSB.

And let’s give credit where credit is due, if we make a choice to be more loving fathers, all praise goes to our heavenly father for giving us the desire and enabling us to make the change.

For your circumstance right now, what is your answer? What would love do?

Are you feeling stuck in frustration and anger toward your kids and don’t see a way out of it? Does the thought of spending time with your children sound unpleasant because you have built up anger and resentment toward them? If you would like a way through it, sign up for a 15-20 minute mini-session on my scheduling calendar so you can see if you are interested in the Christ-centered hope, comfort, and peace-building processes I have to offer.

Andy Viar