It Takes A Man To Be A Dad

That's the slogan of the National Fatherhood Initiative. Check out this new ad they're running in major business magazines. The text reads:

"This is a baby. It needs you. It needs your love, your touch, and your time. Spend lots of time with it. Build a bird house. Read a book. Go for a walk. Do homework. Play. The more time you spend, the better chance it has of growing up happy and healthy. It grows very quickly. Pay attention. Never underestimate the difference you make."

Of course this strategy of tagging the baby would only work for the minority of men who read instruction manuals. :-)

For Christian fathers, we need to add some instructions:

1. Pray. Pray a lot. Here are some suggested prayers for your child.

2. Teach. Take Deut 6 seriously.

Our Lord promises that children are a blessing (see Psalm 127:3-5). Walk faithfully and humbly before God, dads -- it's ok if these kids are a handful before they're a quiverful. (Derek Kidner gets credit for that idea.)