Fatherhood is one of the greatest blessings and biggest responsibilities that God gives a man.
Some dads reading this are thriving. Some are tired. Some feel like they’re killing it, while others quietly wonder if they’re getting anything right. Some had incredible fathers who modeled faithfulness and strength. Others grew up with deep wounds from absent, harsh, or disengaged dads.
No matter your story, this month we want to celebrate fathers across the CrossPoint family and encourage you to keep going.
To the dads who are showing up: thank you. Thank you for working hard. Thank you for fixing things no one else can fix (or at least pretending until YouTube saves the day). Thank you for coaching teams, grilling burgers, teaching life lessons in pickup trucks, or classrooms. Thank you for praying at bedtime, leading a Serve Team or a Grow Group, and loving your family when nobody sees the effort. You matter more than you know.
In a culture where faithful fathers are becoming increasingly rare, your presence makes a difference. About 18.2 million children in America - roughly 1 in 4 - live without a father in the home. Millions more have fathers who are physically present but emotionally absent. Yet children with engaged fathers are significantly more likely to thrive and far less likely to face destructive life outcomes. As pastor Tony Evans said, “A child who does not have a father’s presence misses a father’s influence.”
The Bible reminds us: “The righteous who walks in his integrity – blessed are his children after him!” (Proverbs 20:7). Your kids may not notice every sacrifice right now, but they are paying attention. They’re watching how you treat their Mom. They’re learning what faith looks like from your example, even on days you feel like you’re falling short.
Good dads are not perfect dads. They are surrendered worshippers who love Jesus, compassionate servants who quietly put their family before themselves, and maturing followers who keep growing, even when they get it wrong. They are Kingdom Multipliers - intentionally discipling their children in the everyday moments of life. Teaching, modeling, and pointing them to Jesus through conversations around the table, drives to school, work projects in the garage, and ordinary, everyday interactions. They help create belonging in their homes and fight for togetherness in a world pulling families apart.
And if you didn’t have a good father? Hear this clearly: a bad father does not mean you have to become one. By God’s grace, cycles can be broken. Change is possible.
After all, our ultimate example is not an earthly father – it is God the Father. “As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear Him” (Psalm 103:13). Jesus told a story in Luke 15 about a father with a wayward son. Though his son wandered, the father never stopped loving him. He watched. He waited. And when his son came home, the father ran to him.
Some dads have prodigals. Don’t stop praying. Don’t stop loving. Keep believing God is still working. Others are watching their children follow Jesus faithfully. If that’s you, remember 3 John 1:4: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”
To every dad – whether you feel like a good dad, a bad dad, or somewhere in between – keep going. Our culture desperately needs godly fathers who love Jesus, lead with integrity, and help raise the next generation of kingdom multipliers.
You do not have to be a perfect father to be a faithful one.
Micah Sanderson | CrossPoint Hays