Being An Intentional Dad

• I wonder why my daddy never hugs me any more.

While he’s thinking that, his daughter is thinking, “I wonder why Dad never hugs me anymore?”

POINT

DADS – it is always good and right to express our love to our kids… no matter the age.

AND – as you think about expressing love, keep in mind.

The 5 Love Languages

1. Gifts

2. Quality time

3. Words of affirmation

4. Acts of service

5. Physical touch

Being an intentional dad means…

Pro-Active Involvement

We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God’s Good News but our own lives, too. – 1 Thess 2:8

DADS – to become the dads we want to be requires our involvement…

Requires us to share not only…. Things, an address, facts, stuff activities…

BUT – our lives as well

AND LISTEN – to make this a reality is a lot harder than we think… because…

• We’re busy

• We’re pulled in so many different directions by so many different things and people

• We’re tired at the end of the day

It will take ‘t.i.m.e.’ which we do not have much of.

• We are selfish and may have to give something up that we want to do in order to be their for and with our child.

DADS – being there… OUR – involvement matters.

I’ll never forget an example of this I saw being played out on JinTao baseball team during the playoffs - in the championship game, several years back.

There was one kid who was catching – He would look around every time he caught the ball to see if his dad was there.

He wasn’t.

I found out later he was out playing golf.

Apparently he really loves to play golf.

DADS – our involvement (being there) really matters.

HEY DADS (PARENTS) – have you noticed how every time you go to your child’s event at school or somewhere else… they are always scanning the room to find us.

AND – when they do, they always break out in a smile.

A smile that is birthed in a heart that knows, ‘I matter.’

DADS – to become the DAD we want to be requires that we become very intentional about our involvement.

WHICH – will mean that we may need to …

• Turn off the game

• Get off our laptop or phone

• Do something that interests them

• Tell our friends we will catch them next time on the golf course or wherever.

NOW – in my studies for this conversation I came across the following quote.

I have noticed that in the last generation, the definition of successful parenting has changed from spending time personally with your kids (hanging out with your kids) to being an activities director for your kids.

– Rick Warren

HE SAID – so much of we do is we take our kids to places and watch them as they interact and have personal time with someone else.

NOW – he said that there is nothing wrong with this, but that is must not be a substitute for personal time.

(I don’t know, I just thought his words were worth thinking about)

AGAIN… dads the goal today is no to

beat ourselves up with regret…

BUT - just to ask ourselves this question,

“what small step can I take this week

to be more involved in my child’s life?”

Being an intentional dad means…

• Walking with God

• Expressing our love

• Pro-active Involvement, AND…