"You Don't Have To Be 'superman' To Be A 'super' Dad!"

You Don’t Have to be “Superman” to be a “Super” Dad!

WGCC

Father’s Day, June 17th 2007

There was a father that had three very active boys, maybe some of you here know what that’s like. And one summer evening dad was out playing cops and robbers with his three boys in the backyard after dinner. One of the boys “shot” his father and yelled, “Bang! You’re dead!” He slumped to the ground and when he didn’t get up right away, a neighbor ran over to see if he was ok. When the neighbor bent over, the overworked father opened one eye and said, “Shhh. Don’t give me away. This is the only chance I’ve had to rest all day long.”

It can be tough to be a dad. This is something that I’m quickly learning all too well. Kids are demanding! I know that you guys out there remember a nice, peaceful, romantic time when it was just you and your wife. No crying, no screaming, no crayon scribbling on the wall. It was just you and your wife, and you didn’t have to worry about diapers or spit-ups or bottles. You could be spontaneous and just decide on the last moment to go somewhere or do something exciting. And then came babies, and suddenly you have to pack diapers and clothes, and toys, and strollers, and play wheels on the bus go round and round 50 times to make them go to sleep!

Being a parent is a lot of work, and being a dad is a tough job, especially with all the demands for our attention. Most dads have a career to think about, cars to work on, gutters to clean, lawns to be mowed, ball games to watch, wives to keep happy, parent/teacher conferences, ballet recitals to suffer through, and on and on. And with all these countless things going on, things that we have to get done or things require our attention, it can be easy to push your kids aside.

Research shows dads have a huge impact on their kids lives, both physically and spiritually. In other words dads make all the difference! But for some fathers this may not come as good news to you. But we’re seeing more and more that dads are beginning to realize the significant impact they have on their kids lives. Recently a study was performed and said that 74% of fathers report that spending times with their family or finding time for key relationships is their biggest concern in daily life. Only 64% of mothers say that.

And today, 82% of full-time working men say they would like to spend more time with their family. In 1989 it was only 70%. So we see that dads are saying more and more, I know that I CAN make a difference, but so many are saying I just DON’T know how!! For whatever reason we don’t know what to do, and I think it’s because we feel inadequate and just not good enough. We see the pictures of the “perfect” family, and guys think, there’s no way that I can be like that! We automatically think that if we want to be a good father we have to fit a certain mold.

But that’s just not true. It can be so easy to think that we have to be something that we’re not or else we can’t be good dads. So many guys think they’ve already blown it with their kids, so what’s the point of trying anymore. Maybe they have problems with anger, and their kids drive them over the edge all the time. Maybe dad feels to busy, or like he just can’t connect with his kids. I had one dad tell me one time, I want to have a good relationship with my kid but we just don’t have anything in common!

The fact is, children want to love their parents. They want their parents to be part of their lives and they want their dads to be involved and to be proud of them. But dads feel like if I’m not like Danny Tanner on Full House, or Andy Griffith, or Joe Smo perfect dad down the street then I’m not good enough to be a great Father. I don’t believe that’s true. The title of my sermon today is, “You don’t have to be Superman to be a Super Dad.” What I mean is you don’t have to fit a certain mold, or have nerves of steel, or the ability to always say and do the right thing in every situation, to be a Great Dad.

There are some qualities that make an “average dad” a “super dad.” And I want you to know that the qualities that I’m going to talk about aren’t something that you’re either born with or not. These aren’t some wonderful spiritual gifts that some people have and some people won’t ever have. These are qualities that Godly men, work to perfect in their own lives. Men that honestly want to honor God and love Him and love their families. If that is you this morning, if you have an honest desire to honor God in your life and a sincere love for your family, then these are qualities that YOU can have in your life, and it will make all the difference at home.