Keep the Faith with Ty’Ann Brown: The Good Dad

Hello, I’m Ty’Ann Brown, encouraging you to keep the faith.

It’s Father’s Day this week, and I’m reminded of a quote by the late Reverend Billy Graham: “A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, yet one the most valuable assets in our society.”

I agree with him. It’s a vital job, and I certainly hope that all the fathers out there are not going unnoticed this weekend, and getting their power tools and barbecues and whatever makes your boat float and makes you feel appreciated because you certainly deserve it.

But how does somebody become one of these good dads that Reverend Billy Graham is talking about? Fatherhood is a hard and lonely job, and the reality is that it is not talked about or dissected as much as motherhood is. Well, maybe the answer is to look to the ultimate Father, our Heavenly Father, for inspiration.

So number one: Love your kids with that unconditional love, just like God. In the book of Romans, Chapter 8, Paul says that he is convinced that neither death nor life, angels or demons, the present or the future, height or depth, nothing in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God, through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. God has seen it all, and while he may get angered or dismayed by the things that we do, he never stops loving us, no matter how short we fall, and we all fall short. So through the Terrible Twos up to the eye-rolling teen stages, even to the big problems like arrests or drug problems, never stop loving your kids, always and unconditionally.

Number two: Encourage your kids, just like God. We call God many names—the Great Creator, the Great Physician, but He is also the Great Encourager. Throughout the Bible, God encourages many individuals to persevere, to get through tough times, to focus on doing what’s right, and most importantly, to focus on doing God’s will. Think about how God encouraged Moses to rescue His people from slavery, and how he encouraged Joshua to fight and to be of good courage so that he would bring his people into the Promised Land. So, big things or small things, hard, tough, or difficult, make sure you encourage your children because they need your guidance.

Number three: Teach your child, just like God did. In Proverbs 22 and 6, it says you start off a child in the way that he should go. When he’s old, he will not turn from it. God taught so many things to so many people in the Bible. It’s your responsibility to teach your child practical things—manners and how to treat people and how to love God. Now that’s a good parent. God bless you and keep the faith.