Fatherhood is a Vapor

If you’ve been around the church for some measure of time, you have probably heard the phrase “Life is a vapor.” This is taken from James 4 where the author is urging believers to consider the brevity of their life in light of their relationship to God. He argues for a God-dependent life rather than a self-dependent life. And while these truths are very important when we consider the short time we have in this world, they are of an even greater importance when we consider the brief moment of time that we, as fathers, are given to impact our children.

Walt Brock wrote a very helpful article in a previous post on “How to Wisely Use Time as a Dad.” I would encourage you to read through that article. But while he dealt with the practical steps to take as one considers their use of time, I would like to dig a bit deeper into the mindset that produces this wise use of time. So, let’s consider four mindsets that understand “Fatherhood is a vapor” and live in light of this reality.

Be Dependent

Simply put, you cannot do this on your own. James is writing to challenge the sin of self-dependence. We believers are not meant to live as those who make plans apart from considering our God and our brevity. We were created to be dependent on our Creator. It is the same in our calling as fathers as it is in life: we are dependent on our Creator for the grace and wisdom to lead our families.

Be Intentional

If you knew that you only had a year of life left, how would this change the way you lived? We may not know how long we have on this earth, but we should live as if each day was our last, not recklessly but intentionally. If you knew that you only had 1 year of life left to parent your children, serve your wife, and impact your family for Christ, what would you do? Be intentional with these things.

Be Grateful

We should take every opportunity to mold young hearts towards Christ. This is a great privilege we have as fathers, and something we can enjoy as a gift from God. We are blessed with the opportunity to serve our wives unconditionally. What a privilege to be the leader of a home. What a joy to hear your children yell “Daddy” when you walk through the front door. What a blessing it is to wrestle and snuggle before bed time. We don’t deserve these opportunities, but God in His good grace grants them to us. Be grateful!

Be Focused

Always strive to be “all there” as a father. It is so easy to be around our families but not with them. At the end of a long work day, scrolling through our phone seems easier than engaging with our families. Yet, we are called to strive for a biblically-driven focus in our fatherhood. This means that we are committed to the cause of developing young disciples of Christ and we keep that focus before us and our family constantly. When life and circumstances seek to knock us off course, we don’t let them. We are focused on the mission that God has called us to as fathers.

Just as James reminds us that our lives are a vapor, so we need to remember that our calling as a father is also for just a brief moment. So the question remains, “How will you use your brief moment as a father?” Put on a mindset that fully embraces this truth and make every opportunity count for the glory of God.