Many fathers would agree with the statement one man made: “I have no idea what I’m doing when it comes to the fathering stuff. I feel like a fish out of water.” In response to this uncertainty, Ken Canfield has written a book he titles The 7 Secrets of Effective Fathers. What are the seven secrets of effective fathering?
1. An effective father is committed to his kids, and he keeps his commitments. This means he chooses to take time, energy and resources each day to make a deposit for each child.
2. An effective father knows his child. He recognizes each child’s unique talents, strengths, weaknesses and fears; and, he communicates how very special each of his children are to him.
3. An effective father is consistent. He is not perfect, but he is consistent. His reliability and dependability mean that his children can count on him. They know where he stands on the important issues of life.
4. An effective father protects and provides. Children need to know that they are protected from harm and that their fathers will provide for their financial needs.
5. An effective father loves his children’s mother. A strong marriage provides security for the children. They know that regardless of the difficulties the family must face, Mom and Dad will face them together.
6. An effective father is an active listener. Fathers should be “...quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry” (James 1:19).
7. An effective father equips his children spiritually. He takes the lead in spiritual training, rather than delegating this role to his wife. He sets the pace of spirituality in the home through his active involvement in the local congregation of the Lord’s church.
May God help us to be the effective fathers we so want to be.
- John B. Tracy, adapted; via The Contender, the weekly bulletin published by the Walnut Grove church of Christ in Benton, KY. Kevin Williams preaches for the congregation. He may be contacted at wgcoc@bellsouth.net
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