Dads and the Blessings of God

A few years ago, Penn State University published a study celebrating the benefits of spending time with Dad. The study tracked 200 families, studying one-on-one time between parents and their kids. The research found that the more time kids spent one-on-one with their fathers, the better their self esteem and social skills. Susan McHale, director of the Social Science Research Institute at Penn State, says this: "Our research shows that, well into the adolescent years, teens continue to spend time with their parents and that this shared time, especially shared time with fathers, has important implications for adolescents' psychological and social adjustment."

For Christians, that makes sense. The scriptures teach us that Dads are good for kids too. Ephesians 6 tells Christians to honor their fathers (quoting the Ten Commandments), justifying the instruction by saying, “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” Dads are good for kids.

This Father’s day, honor the Dads of your church family.  They may be biological dads, adoptive dads or a mentors in the faith. Either way, biological and spiritual Dads are good for their kids. Praise the Lord for them this Sunday. Enjoy time with them. Thank them. As you do, you will reap the benefits of time well spent (according to the research). You will also be following one of God’s instructions intended for your greatest good.