Knowing the details of what it takes to care for a child
is something that is foreign to most men. If you are a dad,
did you ever wish that your child had come with an owner’s
manual? All the basic instructions you need to maintain
your new arrival, put into simple language we can understand.
Instead of “change and feed the baby,” say, “Check the filter,
replace if needed, then top off with fluids. Repeat service every
3-4 hours.”
Complicating the matter is the fact that a baby’s routine coincides
with a man’s idea of a perfect day: “Sleep 12 hours. Wake, eat, play,
nap, repeat 4-5 times. Sleep 12 hours again.” It makes us jealous.
But being a father is one of the greatest privileges in the world.
Psalms 127:3-5 says,
“Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb
is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are
children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full
of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the
enemies in the gate.”
But with this privilege comes some of the greatest responsibilities
in the world. If you are a father, then you must understand that
God has entrusted you with the lives of your children. You are
responsible to provide for them and to protect them physically,
emotionally and spiritually. If you fail to take care of them, you
will answer to God for it. This can be a daunting task. Thankfully,
God has given us an instruction manual that tells us everything we
need to know in order to be a Good Dad. If you are going to be a
good dad then you must know and follow God’s instruction manual,
the Bible.