"You Have What It Takes: What Every Father Needs to Know" by John Eldredge was a very good read indeed. Don't let the thinness of this little book fool you if you've yet to read it. The basic point Eldredge effectively gets across in his unique style is this: children look specifically to their dads for affirmation and for the answer to some fundamental questions. First, a boy looks to his dad for the answer to: "Do I have what it takes?" and a girl wants to know from him: "Am I lovely?". Eldredge asserts that it is the duty of the father to answer these questions- hundreds, maybe thousands of times in the lives of their children as he provides a solid, biblical basis for the role of the father. I found this book to be easy to read, very practical and absorbable and something I'll want to read again. I highly recommend it to all fathers and prospective fathers.
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They say that, for sons and daughters alike, the seminal understanding of God's nature comes from their father. Is He merciful, tyrannical, judgmental, generous, joyful? Depends on dad.
Indeed, and that's all the more reason I need my character to be shaped by Christ Jesus. I'm not all that fond of some of my natural tendencies in terms of temperament and attitude which serve as constant reminders of how badly I need to continue to allow Him to condition and shape me. Without Him I am seriously a total wreck. That's why I think it's critical for me to take a proactive stance to fathering, even as the the Lord is changing me internally along the way.
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