Here are a few tips that I hope will help dads like me relax a bit and still have confidence that their children are going to turn out just fine:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Examine Your Motives<\/strong>: Was it my child\u2019s sanctification I was concerned with or my own reputation? Did I want to look good in the hallways at church with two perfect munchkins in tow? Or was I truly invested in my son\u2019s or daughter\u2019s Christian walk for their<\/em> sakes? What was my motivation?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- Show the Messy Side<\/strong>: We all dress up for church on Sunday. The environment is pristine\u2014life is at its Sunday best. There is nothing wrong with that. However, I wanted to show them the messy side of life because in a sinful world, the messy side is sometimes the real <\/em> One Christmas day, we took our two daughters, then eight and nine years old, to the local Rescue Mission downtown. I previously had them each pick out a gift to share with a man who had been in jail. He would be released that very day to his family with nothing to give his children for Christmas and nothing to spend. Our kids each handed their wrapped presents to this young father at the mission. He held them and, through tears, explained that, but for them, he would not have presents for his children. I watched the expression on their little faces through my own tears. For them, in that moment, Christianity became real<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- Pray Over Them<\/strong>: As I learned to stem my own anxiety and turn the upbringing of my children over to the Holy Spirit (which was harder than it sounds), I started to pray silently. Our two little ones had bedrooms across the hall from each other. I discovered that I could reach both doors simultaneously by stretching out my arms. Every weekday morning while they slept, on my way downstairs, I placed one hand on each door sill\u2014and prayed. I prayed the same words every day. \u201cLord, keep my children this day. I know you love them even more than I do. Guard them against the wiles of society. Protect their eyes and ears in school. Surround them with godly friends. Give them your discerning powers. Give them this day. In Jesus\u2019 name.\u201d To this moment, my children don\u2019t know I did that.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
I came across some lines from a Steve Green song the other day. Actually, my pastor repeated them from the pulpit this past Sunday by mere coincidence<\/em>. They fit here:
\nOh, may all who come behind us find us faithful
\nMay the fire of our devotion light their way
\nMay the footprints that we leave lead them to believe
\nAnd the lives we live inspire them to obey
\nAfter all our hopes and dreams have come and gone
\nAnd our children sift through all we’ve left behind
\nMay the clues that they discover and the memories they uncover
\nBecome the light that leads them to the road we each must find.<\/p>\nI leave you with one final thought, dads. In order to not exasperate your children, choose to do your part and let God do His. (Philippians 4:6-7)[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Ben LaCorte bio 2026″ _builder_version=”4.27.3″ _module_preset=”default” global_module=”50725″ saved_tabs=”all” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n\n\t\t
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\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\n\t\t\tBen LaCorte is the founding director of CreationTours.Org: A Christian Ministry that uses secular museums for Bible-based field trips in Raleigh, Charlotte, Greensboro, and Washington, DC.\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_sidebar area=”et_pb_widget_area_2″ admin_label=”GREENHOUSE Sidebar” _builder_version=”4.27.3″ global_module=”19006″ saved_tabs=”all” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
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Spring 26\/Ben LaCorte Raising children in our world today is like walking on a balance beam. As dads, we walk a fine line, trying not to be too strict or too lenient with our children, especially as they become teenagers. The challenge for us as leaders of the household is how to keep our eye on the beam and do acrobatics, while not falling off one side or the other. Our son and daughter are grown now. I\u2019ve had time to reflect on what I did right and what I did wrong with them. By God\u2019s grace, they turned out fine. But that doesn\u2019t mean I wouldn\u2019t do things differently if I had the chance. I am thankful that the Bible addresses this. Ephesians 6:4 warns dads to \u201cnot provoke your children to anger but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.\u201d There\u2019s the balance beam laid out for us. We\u2019re called to discipline but not provoke, instruct but not exasperate, and guide but not dominate. Full confession time: I, too often, leaned towards the overbearing, under-loving side. If you ask why, I\u2019d say I was afraid. No, I was panicked. We had a son and a daughter about a year and a half apart. The biggest concern was for my daughter, not because she ever did anything deserving of concern, but because I wanted to protect her against everything. Her Junior Prom date gave her a dozen red roses. Wait, I give red roses to your mom. This guy can give you white roses, or better yet, assorted tulips. I look back and think how petty I was, aware now that neither my daughter nor her date, at seventeen, put any significance in the color of the bouquet as I had. Overreact much, Dad? Here are a few tips that I hope will help dads like me relax a bit and still have confidence that their children are going to turn out just fine: Examine Your Motives: Was it my child\u2019s sanctification I was concerned with or my own reputation? Did I want to look good in the hallways at church with two perfect munchkins in tow? Or was I truly invested in my son\u2019s or daughter\u2019s Christian walk for their sakes? What was my motivation? Show the Messy Side: We all dress up for church on Sunday. The environment is pristine\u2014life is at its Sunday best. There is nothing wrong with that. However, I wanted to show them the messy side of life because in a sinful world, the messy side is sometimes the real One Christmas day, we took our two daughters, then eight and nine years old, to the local Rescue Mission downtown. I previously had them each pick out a gift to share with a man who had been in jail. He would be released that very day to his family with nothing to give his children for Christmas and nothing to spend. Our kids each handed their wrapped presents to this young father at the mission. He held them and, through tears, explained that, but for them, he would not have presents for his children. I watched the expression on their little faces through my own tears. For them, in that moment, Christianity became real. Pray Over Them: As I learned to stem my own anxiety and turn the upbringing of my children over to the Holy Spirit (which was harder than it sounds), I started to pray silently. Our two little ones had bedrooms across the hall from each other. I discovered that I could reach both doors simultaneously by stretching out my arms. Every weekday morning while they slept, on my way downstairs, I placed one hand on each door sill\u2014and prayed. I prayed the same words every day. \u201cLord, keep my children this day. I know you love them even more than I do. Guard them against the wiles of society. Protect their eyes and ears in school. Surround them with godly friends. Give them your discerning powers. Give them this day. In Jesus\u2019 name.\u201d To this moment, my children don\u2019t know I did that. I came across some lines from a Steve Green song the other day. Actually, my pastor repeated them from the pulpit this past Sunday by mere coincidence. They fit here: Oh, may all who come behind us find us faithful May the fire of our devotion light their way May the footprints that we leave lead them to believe And the lives we live inspire them to obey After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone And our children sift through all we’ve left behind May the clues that they discover and the memories they uncover Become the light that leads them to the road we each must find. I leave you with one final thought, dads. In order to not exasperate your children, choose to do your part and let God do His. (Philippians 4:6-7)\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t
- Pray Over Them<\/strong>: As I learned to stem my own anxiety and turn the upbringing of my children over to the Holy Spirit (which was harder than it sounds), I started to pray silently. Our two little ones had bedrooms across the hall from each other. I discovered that I could reach both doors simultaneously by stretching out my arms. Every weekday morning while they slept, on my way downstairs, I placed one hand on each door sill\u2014and prayed. I prayed the same words every day. \u201cLord, keep my children this day. I know you love them even more than I do. Guard them against the wiles of society. Protect their eyes and ears in school. Surround them with godly friends. Give them your discerning powers. Give them this day. In Jesus\u2019 name.\u201d To this moment, my children don\u2019t know I did that.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Show the Messy Side<\/strong>: We all dress up for church on Sunday. The environment is pristine\u2014life is at its Sunday best. There is nothing wrong with that. However, I wanted to show them the messy side of life because in a sinful world, the messy side is sometimes the real <\/em> One Christmas day, we took our two daughters, then eight and nine years old, to the local Rescue Mission downtown. I previously had them each pick out a gift to share with a man who had been in jail. He would be released that very day to his family with nothing to give his children for Christmas and nothing to spend. Our kids each handed their wrapped presents to this young father at the mission. He held them and, through tears, explained that, but for them, he would not have presents for his children. I watched the expression on their little faces through my own tears. For them, in that moment, Christianity became real<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n