This is consistent throughout Scripture, but here are a few verses that speak to this idea.

• Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4
• Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her… Ephesians 5:25

Sometimes I don’t know what to do with verses like these. The weight of being a man in God’s eyes can feel crushing. And the reason is I know that, for example, I can’t love my wife like Christ loved the church. On my best days, my best moments are only glimpses of what His self-sacrificial love looks like. So, what do I do with that?

So often I move past commands like these rather than sitting under the weight of them. When we see the command to love our wives “as Christ loved the church” or that we are responsible to bring our children up “in the training and instruction of the Lord,” it should move us to dependency… the deep conviction that I cannot do what God has called me to do without Him.

I had a conversation with a friend of mine who said it well. After talking about the responsibilities and influence given to men in Scripture, he commented, “My shoulders aren’t broad enough. I’m glad that His are.” That picture connected with me in a powerful way. My shoulders are not broad enough, but HIS are.

As we look forward to Father’s Day this Sunday, here’s a quick reminder to the dads… Our posture as men should be one of brokenness, not pride. Humility, not self-sufficiency. And out of that, God can use us to love and lead those around us in ways that reflect our heavenly Father.

Matt

P.S. If you’d like to learn more about heartbeat of Grace Fellowship Church, I hope you’ll join me for Next Steps on Sunday, June 27. It will be a great opportunity to meet some of our leaders and learn about what makes GFC GFC. Click here to sign up.