25 Bible Verses for Dads

Don’t Be Stingy With Your Praise

Matt 3:17 (NKJV) “And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

2 Pet 1:17 (NKJV) “For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

          We know God is the divine example of efficiency. He made the earth in six days. He took one pile of dirt and created the first human and took a rib out of that human to make the next human. God placed enough potential in the two of them to make every other human that has ever or will ever live.

          It’s easy to conclude then that God doesn’t do things without a purpose. What then was the purpose of publicly praising Jesus? Jesus is a part of the divine trinity, the Godhead. He was there in the beginning when the beginning began. Does Jesus need this kind of stroke to be successful in fulfilling His purpose on earth?

          Jesus, the divine member of the Godhead did not need encouragement. However, Jesus who humbeld Himself, put on flesh and became a man, did need encouragement. He is the high priest that became like us to feel what we feel. Jesus the adult, human, man, in a flesh and blood body, needed affirmation and praise. The All-Knowing, Wise God knew this and gave it to Him.

          If God can celebrate His Son, why can’t we? Why are we so stingy with our praise? I urge you dad, don’t be so hard. Don’t hesitate to dole out praise and show that you are proud of your son.

          If you don’t learn how to meet this need he will eventually learn to seek it elsewhere. Giving out praise when it’s due is a sign of strength and humility. We should all want our sons to accomplish more than we did.

          Yes, we want to set the bar high for our sons and our daughters for that matter, but not so high that they get discouraged. All of our kids are different. They have different personalities and needs. Some kids need encouragement and “words of affirmation” more than others, not because they are weak but because they are wired differently (see the Five Love Languages for Children).

Reflection: Was your father stingy with words of affirmation? How often did you get the sense that your father was proud of you? What was the impact on you? Did his methods prove to be right in your life, in the lives of your siblings? If your dad was good in this area, are you maintaining his standards? Are you stuck in a mentality that says you can’t praise your kids until they do something great versus praising them for small things along they way so that confidence is built in them until they achieve something great? Don’t go to your grave without emptying your heart of all the words that you have that indicate how proud you are of your kids. For that matter don’t let them escape this day without finding one thing to praise them for. It may be difficult if you didn’t grow up that way, but hey you’re the adult, you’re the older one…FIGURE IT OUT and GET STARTED TODAY!