Intentional Fathering begins in Seeking God

Intentional Fathering is a hard task.  I began outlining that in one of my last posts.  Today, I have been reading a short ebook by Mark Driscoll entitled, Pastor Dad.  The first chapter strikes home with me as the core of fathering.
"before any father disciplines his children, he is commanded to delight in them. practically, this means that most of a father's time is spent enjoying his children, encouraging his children, laughing with his children, being affectionate with his children, and enjoying his children so that there is a deep bond of love and joy between the children and their dad."

Delighting in our kids.  Do we delight in them enough to work less, to be home more?  Do we delight in our kids enough to want to have their help in our daily tasks, even if it takes longer to finish the task at hand?  Do we delight in our kids enough to tell them how we feel about them and to hold them, embrace them and love them?  Do we delight in our kids enough to allow God to discipline us?  If the first questions were hard, this last question is the hardest.  Are we willing to pursue God in such a way that we will allow him to rewrite our lives, to correct our sins, to rebuke us?  Again Driscoll writes, 

"practically, this means that a good father lives out the gospel every day in fellowship with god and his child, and that he knows what to do about sin in the life of his child because he's been dealing with his own sin in his own life first...proverbs 20:7 says, "the righteous who walks in his integrity—blessed are his children after him!" similarly, paul tells the corinthians that when he was a boy he acted like one, but when he became a man he put childish ways behind him (1 cor. 13:11). it is imperative that christian fathers repent of their childish ways (i.e., laziness, lust, whining, drunkenness, juvenile antics, neglecting family in the pursuit of hobbies, foolish spending, and so on) because their sins impinge upon the lives of their children and grandchildren."

This may be the hardest part of fathering, actually repenting of our sin - the long hours, the struggles with sexual lust, the covetous desire for more.  It is one thing to agree these things are wrong, and quite another thing to be willing to change our lifestyle, but that is the true heart of repentance and fatherhood begins in repentance.  So fathers, are you ready to begin intentionally father?  If yes, then ask this question, "Do I want my child to have the spiritual life that I have?" "Do I want my child to struggle with the same carnal struggles that I struggle with?"  Wherever you answer "No", set that before God and truly repent and change.  Your fathering begins here.