Seasons of Fatherhood

Being a dad is both a great privilege and a great joy. There are stages in the journey of fatherhood. Each one of these stages brings unique challenges and joys. Whether or not you have children, as I share these things with you, please consider carefully how God the Father views you.

Stages of Fatherhood:

1. Conception and anticipation
I’ll never forget the first time I looked at a pregnancy test and kept looking back and forth between the directions and the results – confirming what I had suspected but hadn’t expected – yes, we were expecting. In that moment my world had changed. For the next nine months I went on a crash course of learning things I had never before wanted to learn.
But more than that, I began to imagine what this child might be like. I began to formulate plans for him/her. I began to plan on how we were going to care for and raise this child. I began to get things ready for his/her arrival. I was counting down the days to the birth of my son/daughter.

2. First Things
The births of our children were sacred moments. I felt like I was witnessing a miracle. Everything was new. Amazement and naivety characterized my first year as a father.
It was exciting. It might have seemed mundane to other people, but staring in the face of that baby was probably my proudest moment.
Then came the first steps. First time eating food. First words…
This is an exciting time for a father. It is a time of low expectations and high rewards.

3. Nurture
It seems like babies are all about eating. They are growing like crazy. Their life is basically about eating, sleeping, and going potty. And crying. These days modern fathers are involved in nearly every area of the nurturing process.
You carry them. You dress them. You bathe them.
You begin teaching them. It was sometime during this stage that my kids found the safest seat in the house -- Sitting on my lap. Thumbing through a picture book. Eventually this grew to them running to me with their books – having me read them the same stories again and again and again.
It is a time where they are learning FAST and they soak in the world like a sponge.

4. Rites of Passage
This represents transitions between stages of development. These are monuments of growth.
As children grow they go through rites of passage:
• Their first day of kindergarten. Backpacks are longer than their back.
• Adolescence – Becoming an adult. See strength emerging. The other day I was running home when I saw a car driving down the road towards me…My daughter was in the driver’s seat. She was alone. She was going somewhere important. I waved to her and felt a little strange being on foot while my baby girl was now driving an automobile.
• Other rites of passage include 16th birthdays, graduations and weddings.
When you go through these times as a father, your heart is messed with. Your emotions come alive; you shed tears. You feel pride. You experience disappointment. You live with concern. You hang on to hope. You always want the best for your kids. You worry for them. You pray for them.

5. Role reversal
Moving far ahead, roles reverse. This is where you become a blessing to your own father. You give more and you ask less and less. You are grateful for all you have received. You sense indebtedness and a healthy feeling of obligation to care for that parent in the way that they have cared for you.

God the Father is taking you on a journey of growth as well.
What has He seen happening in you?
For some, God is anticipating your spiritual birth.
For some, God has seen your spiritual birth and you’re going through first things.
For some, this is a time of nurture and God is helping you grow fast.
For others, you find yourself going through Rite of Passage
Some of you are at a place where you know and love the Father and you have for so long that you are a consistent blessing. You’re whole. You’re not testing the boundaries. You are a person of prayer and devotion. You’re not perfect, but you’re like the son or daughter whose life is now devoted to giving back to the Father recognizing what He has done for you.

The question I am asking is where are you right now in your relationship with your Father in heaven?

Matthew 23:8-10 "But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. 9And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10Nor are you to be called 'teacher,' for you have one Teacher, the Christ."

What was the point? There is a primary (preeminent, supreme) relationship that overshadows all the human relationships that we have. This relationship is with God Himself. And there is a perfect Father who is attending to your life with a love that is greater than any human love. It is deeper. Purer. More compassionate. More understanding. And the Father’s heart is filled with hope for you.

1. Identify where you are…(review the stages) – He wants to move you ahead
2. Celebrate the Father’s love (Express thanks and gratitude today)
3. Yield to the Father’s influence (This is the greatest gift you could give)