Valuable Lessons My Dad Taught Me About Following Jesus

God-fearing dads are wonderful, eyy? Having a role model who aims to live for Jesus is a gift that I, personally, take for granted more often than I would like to admit. There are so many wonderful lessons my dad has taught me and I know there are a lot of fathers out there that aren’t as kind, loving, patient, or supportive as mine; a lot of dads that don’t look to God for guidance in raising their children and leading their home.

So, for those of you that do have dads who trust in God and have taught you to lean on Him…don’t lose sight of what a lovely blessing that is. We’re all human, we all have flaws, but the people in your life that continually point you to God, are people you should be truly thankful for.

1. Boast in Your Weaknesses

My dad taught me a truly important lesson in life: God’s grace is sufficient.  In 2 Corinthians 12: 9, Paul writes, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

We are weak, small, helpless beings that are lost without hope. God’s love is what gives us purpose and value. It is through Christ alone that our flaws, our brokenness, is made beautiful. By boasting in our weaknesses, we are acknowledging the glory of our flawless God.

2. No Bible, No Breakfast

Ever heard that? It’s an older phrase, but the concept is timeless. God comes first. Dad taught me the importance of making a regular habit of spending time with God. And he teaches it by example. Nearly every morning he takes his breakfast and Bible out on our side porch and spends the first hour of his morning reading and thinking over God’s word.

If we’re going to say God is first in our lives, we should probably treat Him like it; don’t ya think?

3. When You Mess Up, Try Again

My Dad and I have very similar personalities. We can both be stubborn and opinionated with an attempt at humility that doesn’t always turn out right. Everyone has something they struggle with regularly, and it gets discouraging when you keep trying and nothing is changing.

So, another valuable lesson Dad taught me over the years is that perfection isn’t expected from us. Not even attempted perfection. We should desire to change because of Yahweh’s love for us and our love for Him in return. But we’ll still human. We’ll still mess up.

God isn’t afraid of our messiness, though. He sees our hearts. And He wants us to keep trying. To keep standing up when we fall. Sometimes the hardest part of living for God is the fact that we will never fully succeed. The simple truth that we can’t do it on our own; we won’t ever be “enough” …and that’s okay. We were never supposed to be enough. God’s grace and love already is.

4. Love the Outcasts

My dad taught me to love fearlessly. Now, do note, he also taught me to be wise with my approach to that, but the general act of loving someone and viewing them as God’s creation has been clearly expressed, depicted, and portrayed by my parents for years. I’ve seen dad care for the people that were unkind to him, value the people others turn away, and stand up for those the world shoves aside.

Because God is love, and honestly? We’re all outcasts.

Jesus came to love the outcasts. We should pray for strength, passion, and grace to do the same.

5. Imperfect Humans Held by a Perfect God

My dad isn’t perfect. He’s made a lot of mistakes, and he’d tell you that. But he loves God. A lot. At the end of the day, we’re all imperfect humans held in the hands of a perfect God, and that is a wonderful truth. That we have done nothing, can’t do anything…and He chooses to love us like a father loves his child.

So, Dad, (because I know you’re reading this)… thank you for teaching me to look to God above all else. It is a lovely blessing to have a father that points me to a Greater One.