You're in limited preview mode.

Login or signup for free to unlock more content.

Fearless Fatherhood

Fear Fatherhood Love (Divine)

Source: National Center for Fathering, "The Power of 'I Love You" From Dad"

Link to Source: Click here to view source

Contributed By: Chris Huff | Date Posted: 2024-02-26

Scripture: Psalms 34:4 ; 1 John 4:18

Author: Chris Huff
0

ILLUSTRATION

Sometimes we can fear showing even very simple, clear acts of love. Many fathers rarely tell their children that they love them. The National Center for Fathering reports, from the informal surveying of fathers that only about 3-4% of fathers tell their children that they love them on a consistent basis. It’s not that they don’t love their children, they do, and they often desperately want to tell their children that they love them. But they don’t because they’re afraid of how their children might respond.

According to the Center:

Our words—or sometimes our lack of words—can either bless or discourage our children for their entire lives. And we’ve heard all the excuses: 'They know how much I love them.' 'I don’t want my son to get a big head.' 'It just isn’t what we do in our family.' But those are just excuses. If we know how much it benefits our children, there’s really no reason we shouldn’t say it.

Fear often causes us to shrink back from doing what we know we "ought" to do, causing us to lean into excuses.

But the Center assures us:

... [T]hose three words, spoken with sincerity and backed up by behavior, can demonstrate support, encouragement, tenderness, and caring as much as anything else we do as fathers.

APPLICATION

Scripture is replete with our Heavenly Father's proclamation of love for us.

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him (1 John 3:1, NIV).

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16, NIV).

We love because he first loved us (1 John 4:19, NIV).

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Roman 8:37-39, ESV).

In shrinking back or retreating in fear from expressing that love to others, especially our own children, we are retreating from our obligation — and even privilege — to love others just as God has loved us!

And that’s really where genuine change can occur in our lives. Because as we begin to rest in God’s love for us, we find that all of our fears begin to fade away. It says in Psalm 34: "I sought the Lord, and he answered me and rescued me from all my fears."

In fact, "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love" (1 John 4:18, NIV).

Don't rob your child of knowing the your love for them. Follow the Lord's example to proclaim that love boldly, loudly, and often!

The Sacrificial Heart of Shlomo Ron

Love (Divine) Sacrifice Preparation

Source: X post, 10/21/23 by Yael Bar Tur, @yaelbt

Link to Source: Click here to view source

Contributed By: Illustration Exchange | Date Posted: 2023-10-21

Scripture: John 15:13

Author: Yael Bar Tur
4

ILLUSTRATION

This is Shlomo Ron. When Hamas terrorists invaded his home in Kibbutz Nahal Oz, this 85-year-old frail man had a plan. He left his wife, daughters and grandson in the shelter, and went to sit in his living room, waiting for his death. He figured that when terrorists break in they will see him, execute the lonely old man, and move on. He was right. He’s a hero who sacrificed himself for the people he loves. May be [sic] rest in peace.

APPLICATION

Two things are particulary impressive about the actions of Shlomo in the face of grave terror ...

1) He had a plan! He had not waited till the 11th hour to decide how he would respond when the moment came for him to take action.

2) His plan was to protect and "save" those whom he loves.

THIS is what sacrificial love looks like.

 

The Love of a Father

Fatherhood Love (Human) Love (Divine)

Source: My Father's Story

Contributed By: Tim Turner | Date Posted: 2023-08-07

Scripture: Matthew 7:11 ; John 4:14

Author: Tim Turner
0

ILLUSTRATION

My father grew up in the Depression era in a leaky and cold house.  He said, in winter months, he could sometimes have snow in his bedroom. The house was not well insulated, so the wind could bring a chill. Though the conditions were difficult, he never questioned the loved of his father.

One frigid night, my father woke up and was thirsty.  He called out to his dad and asked him for some water. They did not have running water in the house, so my grandfather had to go outside in the cold to get a cup of water. My dad could hear the floor creaking as my grandfather stepped through the dark house. He heard the door open and the ice breaking as my grandfather got the water from a bucket that had frozen over.

As my grandfather brought the cup of water to my dad's bedside, my dad said he had never felt so loved as he did in that moment. His father had sacrificed his own comfort to satisfy my dad's thirst. What a great example of a father's love.

APPLICATION

Our heavenly Father has done this for us. He knows what we need and He provides for us even better than our earthly fathers can.

But the greatest lesson is this. He has loved us to the point of His own personal sacrifice.  Jesus left the comforts of heaven to come down to this dark world to satisfy our deepest thirst. He came so that we would never thirst again.

Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water. ... whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life" (John 4:11, 14, NIV).

Loving the Source

Bible Intimacy with God Love (Divine)

Contributed By: Michael McIntosh | Date Posted: 2023-05-13

Scripture: Psalms 119:16 ; John 14:21

Author: Michael McIntosh
1

This is Premium Content.

To see the full illustration, please Sign Up or

Who's Your Bouncer? Perfect Love Bounces Fear to the Curb

Love (Divine) Love (Uncondtional) Fear

Contributed By: Joey Sparks | Date Posted: 2023-05-11

Scripture: 1 John 4:18 ; 1 John 4:19

Author: Joey Sparks
1

This is Premium Content.

To see the full illustration, please Sign Up or

Intervention

Discipline (Corrective) Wrath Love (Divine)

Contributed By: Chris Huff | Date Posted: 2022-07-26

Scripture: Romans 10:21 ; Matthew 18:22

Author: Chris Huff
4

This is Premium Content.

To see the full illustration, please Sign Up or

Created to be Free

Love (Divine) Freedom Submission

Contributed By: Illustration Exchange | Date Posted: 2022-05-20

Scripture: John 8:36 ; John 15:5

Author: Todd Pierce
4

This is Premium Content.

To see the full illustration, please Sign Up or

Life Lessons From Cockroaches

Emotions Knowledge Love (Divine)

Contributed By: Illustration Exchange | Date Posted: 2022-05-05

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 8:1 ; Proverbs 3:5

Author: Illustration Exchange
4

This is Premium Content.

To see the full illustration, please Sign Up or

"I'll Love You Forever"

Salvation Love (Divine) Parenting

Contributed By: Neal Pollard | Date Posted: 2019-02-16

Scripture: Jeremiah 31:3 ; John 3:16

Author: Neal Pollard
6

This is Premium Content.

To see the full illustration, please Sign Up or

Real Men ... Love

Love (Divine) Men's Concerns Husbands

Contributed By: Corey Sawyers | Date Posted: 2018-10-02

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:1 ; 1 Corinthians 16:14

Author: Corey Sawyers
2

This is Premium Content.

To see the full illustration, please Sign Up or