TIP 50. IN GOD'S HANDS
For those fathers that have been gifted with very soft hearts and those who are still developing them, it is important to understand that in all things we must put our trust in God. It is often difficult for fathers to extricate or distance themselves emotionally from the day to day challenges of family life and the pressures they bring. We are so intimately involved in family life that when we see one member suffering or making wrong decisions, we often take it to heart and blame ourselves for the situation.
Now sometimes we may indeed have played a part in bringing about the problem, as none of us are perfect parents, but it is important not to compound the problem further by letting our emotions dictate the action we take. In every challenge of life we can choose to handle it the best way we can as men, or we can enlist the help of our Heavenly Father by placing our trust in His ability and not our own.
I personally believe that God loves my children far more than I ever could, and that He always has what is best for them in mind. God is trying to get people into heaven, not trying to keep them out; otherwise He would not have sent Jesus Christ to die for our sins. God's love for them is complete, it is pure and not motivated by any selfishness at all, that is why we can entrust them to God's hands for safekeeping.
Sometimes the best thing we can do as a father is to get out of the way for a while and let God deal with our children; after all He has had the experience of raising billions of them. The softness of a father's heart will often try to shield our children from all of life's difficult experiences, but in doing that we may actually be hindering their growth and the path toward maturity.
Committing our children to God is not always easy to do emotionally, as men often find it difficult to give 'the reins' over to someone else. But when our children are securely placed into God's hands by faith, there comes an emotional freedom and clarity of mind that assists us greatly in our fathering role.
Dads' Call To Action:
Take the time to place your children safely into God's hands through prayer, and let Him carry the weight. He is the best qualified for the job, and your faith will help Him to watch over their lives.
(Philippians 4 v 6-7)
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.