Luke Scallon
Pastor, Faith Baptist Church of Danville

Published in The Des Moines County News on August 4, 2016.

A parent is many things to their children.  Just recently, our oldest son told my wife, “Mama, you’re like a doctor, and a teacher, and a cook, and a cleaner, and you fix things, and you help us, and you tell us about God…  You do all those things!”  We wear many hats and play many different roles in our children’s lives.  Perhaps that’s why many children would say their hero is their mother or father.

I wouldn’t have always said that.  I was opinionated, stubborn, and independent as a teenager.  But even when I didn’t realize it, what my parents said and did thoroughly shaped me.  Their influence carries on, and I’ve grown in understanding and appreciation of that.  I’m convinced that in instances where kids don’t consider their parents to be their heroes, that they want their parents to be their heroes.

Being a hero is a hard thing to live up to.  There are all sorts of superheroes on TV, with super-abilities like flying and lifting buildings.  Then there’s the all-time superhero, Jesus, who never sinned, knew everything, and happened to be God in person.  Let’s face it – we’re not God, and we can only fly with a plane ticket.  Yet, we have a very special, direct, God-given role in our children’s lives, not to “save the day,” but to keep loving, disciplining, and leading our children to grow in wisdom and ability.

Admittedly, we’ve got it easy in this department right now.  For three kids age 5 and under, they get out of the house plenty, but in their minds the world revolves around us.  They love Captain America and the Rescue Bots, but they come to us for all their needs.  We are real and available and they still accept wisdom from us.  But as they age, they will grow in independence, and question the world, and challenge our authority and intelligence!  How do we continue as heroes in their lives?

I’m certain this looks different in each stage of life, but we must always help them to see the greatest Hero of all, Jesus.  It’s humbling to realize that we are very limited in our abilities to protect our children, and that will only increase.  It’s God who is able to preserve their lives and rescue their souls, and it’s Jesus who accomplished that work on the cross.

The Bible says, “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath” (James 1:19).  This verse has been a turning point for me as a daddy.  I don’t care if my kids call me their “hero,” but I want to impact them as best I can.  A lot of patience and a lot of listening go a long ways!  My children long to feel like they are heard and understood, and they respond entirely differently when I back up from my anger and impatience and take that effort to love and listen.

Your children need you, even if they act otherwise.  Will you keep pouring into them?