This series of blog posts are modified from an article I wrote for the Witness about Biblical Fatherhood. You need to read the introductory post before reading this one.
Jesus also relied on his Father for the ability to obey. The Father gave the Son the words to say and the works to do. He also gives Jesus his followers and enables Jesus to hang on to them (John 10:29). No one can come to Jesus unless the Father draws them (John 6:44, 65). In fact, Jesus could do nothing on his own without the Father’s enabling (John 5:30). His authority over people was a gift from the Father (John 17:2). The Father has given the Son authority over everything he has, including the power to lay down and take up his own life (John 10:18; 16:15). A godly father supplies his children with what they need to follow the clear direction he gives.
Dads must not direct their kids to tasks they will not enable them to perform. If a father wants his daughter to clean her room, he needs to make sure she can reach what she needs to reach and lift what needs to be lifted to complete the task. If a father wants his son to stand strong against peer pressure at school, he needs to make sure he teaches him well about his identity in Christ. What steps can we take as dads to better enable our kids to behave the way we want and to pursue the things we value?
