The primary role of fathers is to teach their sons to be men, what it is to be a man and strong man, especially in a culture where masculinity and manhood and strength is being viewed as toxic. So we have to disciple our sons by being strong men. I learned more from my dad by watching him than I learned through setting under his lectures. Sometimes when my dad began to lecture I'd tune him out. Sometimes just to be honest, we'd start lecturing our kid and especially when we were rebuking them and correcting them, it's like, oh, I don't want to hear this.
But even though often I didn't want to hear what my dad had to say to me as a young man, I saw his prayer life. I saw how he treated my mother. I saw how he loved us. I saw how he loved God. I saw his behavior.
I saw his strength. I saw how my dad wouldn't compromise the truth when there was temptation to compromise. I saw his strength of being a man. And that meant more to me. Over the years, I have the highest respect and highest regard to my father.
I'd fight. If someone, I cannot handle anyone speaking any negative thing about my father because of the high regard and respect that I have for him. I think that's what I want my kids. I want to have those lectures. Sometimes they're needed.
Those corrective speeches. Sometimes my sons need to see that I'm disappointed with them because I expected more of them. They need to see that. They need to see my love. They need to see that I care for them.
Ultimately they need to see that I don't compromise. I'm a man of integrity. And so I pray that as my father discipled me through his words and his actions that I can pass that on to my children so that they have an example to teach their children behind them. You