Fatherhood

                Families, communities, and nations are strengthened when men and women realize that parenthood is the reason we are created, the reason we are on earth. Heavenly Father, through His Son, Jesus Christ, created this earth for the purpose of teaching and training His spirit children to become like Him. One of God’s expectations of us is that we will partner with Him in creating bodies for other spirits to come to earth also.

                Blogger Matt Walsh recently wrote an interesting article in reply to message he received on Facebook. The message came from a young man whose wife was pregnant with their first child. He was worried that he was not “dad material” because he enjoys his free time, trips, vacations, and having fun with his wife.

                Walsh explained that he should relax because no one is “dad material” or “mom material” before they become dad or mom. Everyone enjoys their free time, trips, vacations, etc. “We all like to relax, come and go at our own leisure, and generally exercise control over our lives.”

                After explaining why men need to become fathers, Walsh writes, “So you don’t feel like you could fit a kid into your life exactly as it is right now? You’re right. You’d have to change it. But that raises the real question: Is it worth it? You like your free time and your vacations, but is there something better out there? Is there something deeper to be found in life if you dig for it?

                Walsh says that “every man is meant to serve and protect others. All men are meant to deny themselves. All men are meant to love self-sacrificially. All men are meant to give themselves up, as Christ did on the cross. All men are called to provide strength and moral leadership. All men must have a father’s heart, no matter what they’re doing with their lives. And the fact that any man is afraid of giving himself to a greater cause doesn’t mean that he’s not meant to do it….

                “I truly believe that no man can ever be happy or satisfied until he embraces his role as a father, in whatever capacity. As long as he lives like a boy, as long as he lives only for his toys and his free time, he’ll be miserable because there’s just not enough in all that stuff to sustain a man. Some men will find their fatherhood role outside of biological or adoptive fatherhood, and they’ll be happy there. But most men, like us, will find fatherhood in fatherhood….”

                Walsh answers the question, “what do I get out of being a father” with a list of blessings: “A sense of purpose. A reason. A cause. An entire universe you never knew existed. An outlet for that self-sacrificing love that all men fundamentally desire to give….”

                Fatherhood is not easy, but it is possible and worthwhile. Becoming a father – or a mother – is fulfilling the purpose for your existence on earth. When fathers and mothers understand the importance of fatherhood, our families, communities, and nations are strengthened.