The way to protect your kids from negative influences is to model your heavenly Father who affirms the mind, body, spirit and heart of His children.

 

Mind—The Bible says, "As he thinks, so is he" (see Prov. 23:7). So, affirming the mind is about helping your kids think in a way that will yield right actions. It's about instilling godly wisdom in them. And, it's important not to mistake wisdom for knowledge. Knowledge is simply the act of knowing.

 

Wisdom is knowing what is right and then doing it. (Remember, Adam and Eve had knowledge about the tree of good and evil but it provided little protection from the tempter.) Regardless of your children's ages, reading books that reflect God's wisdom is an effective way to affirm their minds.

 

Body—The Bible declared that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made" (Ps. 139:14). Dads need to make sure that their kids embrace this truth and not let it be exchanged for the tempter's lie.

 

Affirming the body is especially important as kids move into the sometimes-awkward teen years, when insecurity is at its peak. Also, as teens, they are particularly vulnerable to cultural and social messages that say that they aren't "good enough" unless they do this or buy that. The lure of drugs, alcohol, smoking and even premarital sex is lessened when kids have been affirmed and truly consider their bodies as a "temple of the Lord."

 

Spirit—Fatherhood is really a priesthood. And, it's critical that dads affirm their kids' spirits by setting a moral compass deep within their children's souls. This is more than enforcing rules or making sure that your kids have memorized the Ten Commandments.

 

As Josh McDowell says, "Rules without relationships yield rebellion." This is about dad being a spiritual leader and a role model who sets a godly example in word and deed that his children are compelled to follow.

 

Heart—Our heavenly Father asserts boldly, "'I have loved you with an everlasting love'" (Jer. 31:3). Unconditional love is key to affirming the heart of children. Even when they are disobedient and their behavior breaks our fellowship with them, they must know that nothing that they do will ever break our relationship with them. (Remember the prodigal son?) Our connection with them—heart-to-heart—is about "being" (or who they are) not about "doing."

 

By following the glorious example that God has set for us, we are empowered to give our children what they desperately need—an involved, responsible and committed father.

 

By Roland C. Warren, president of the National Fatherhood Initiative (NFI), a nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve the well-being of children by increasing the proportion of children growing up with involved, responsible and committed fathers. Learn more about NFI by visiting fatherhood.org, or write to 101 Lake Forest Blvd., Suite 360, Gaithersburg, MD 20877.