What does it take to be a good father? When you consider your own father, maybe you remember him being funny, loving, a hard worker, wise or gentle. Any of these qualities would make an unforgettable dad. But what makes a truly good father?
In 1 Timothy 5:8, the Bible tells us, “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” Then, in Ephesians 6:4, it tells us, “And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.”
Between these two passages, we can find four qualities of a good father. He protects his family, provides for his family, makes rules for his family, and disciplines his family. These aren’t just good qualities, but what God expects out of fathers. So, a good father will make these qualities a priority in his life.
However, fathers are not perfect. Sometimes they fail at meeting one, two, or all of these responsibilities. Sometimes a father isn’t even present enough to make an attempt. But, there is one father who is perfect in these qualities: our Father in Heaven.
God protects His children. In Exodus 14, God protected the children of Israel from Pharaoh’s men, drowning the army in the Red Sea. Today, our Father protects us. “But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one” (2 Thess. 3:3).
God provides for His children. In Exodus 16, when the children of Israel were hungry in the wilderness, God provided manna from heaven. Our Father provides for us today. Jesus said, “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?…’ For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things” (Matt. 6:31-32).
God makes rules for His family. In Exodus 20, God gave the children of Israel the Law of Moses. God made rules for us to live by, too. James 1:25 tells us, “But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”
God disciplines His children. In Exodus 32, when the children of Israel rebelled and worshipped the golden calf, God disciplined them harshly. God disciplines us today. Hebrews 12:9-10 says, “…we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect…but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.”
Our Father is not just a good Father, He is a perfect Father. Let us strive to be the faithful children He deserves.