How to Raise a Happy Family

Psalm 128:1-4

This year, six-million Americans are going to take part in the greatest event of their lives. I mean, perhaps the most life-changing event outside of conversion that ever happens to a person. Six million Americans! It will be more important than the way they vote. It will be more important than any art work they may create. It will be more important than any space trip they may take. It will be more important than any technological problem that they may solve. It will be more historically important than any medical discovery that they may make.

Do you know what that is? Six million Americans this year will become parents! And that is absolutely the most life-changing event, outside of conversion, that can happen to a person. Do you remember when your children were born?

My! When you waited in the delivery room or in the waiting room and when the doctor or the nurse brought that baby out and you looked at it for the first time in your life, you realized that you were to shape the destiny of another human being. It was awesome! I read that people are more apt to turn to spiritual things when a child is born than at any other time in their lives. And that makes sense.

Suddenly, trying to plant into that life something of eternity, of God, of yourself, and of the future become very important, and fathers have a big part to play in it. But there is a tragic thing about this, and you may or may not have thought about it. We spend years training a man to be a pilot, a doctor, or a lawyer. We spend conference time and seminars training a man to use computers or to be a good salesman.

But at the age of 17, 18, 21, 23, 27 or 32--suddenly a man becomes a father. And he probably hasn't had one course on how to be a good daddy! It is easy to become a father, but I want to tell you, it is tough being a good one, and there is a big difference! Suddenly you are faced with a little lump of clay that is going to become a personality, and nobody told you what to do. It is awesome, isn't it?

It all begins with you and what you create in your life!