A man senses an inner transformation occurring the moment his daughter is born. As time passes, and he watches his little princess grow up, he wants to protect her from some stray predatory beast, the wrong or abusive man—to avoid a life of pain and sorrow.
So, as a parent, when I see a young woman being pushed around, used, abused, and treated shabbily or hear of some actor on the news constantly getting herself in trouble with the law, I can’t help but ask the questions, “Where’s her father or father-figure? What is he doing about it?” These questions also go for any woman whose father is still alive but just as AWOL.
As I see it, the job of a father of daughters is to be their protector and defender—for life. In the case of my daughters, my promise to protect and defend them began at their first breath and will endure until my last. No, this doesn’t mean constantly interfering with everything my daughters do. It just means that wherever and whenever they want someone to stand between them and harm’s way, I want to be that barrier. As fathers, it is our duty, and our joy, to lay down our lives for our daughters, and any man not prepared to do the same just isn’t worthy of them.
The father helps his daughter establish a sense of worth and confidence in herself, a value other men can’t disregard. His relationship with her will help shape how she relates to other men. In Always Daddy’s Girl—Understanding Your Father’s Impact On Who You Are, H. Norman Wright states:
Your father is still influencing your life today—probably more than you realize. For example, your present thoughts and feelings about yourself and your relationships with other men reflect your father’s impact on you. So often, what a father gives to his daughter affects her expectations toward the men in her life. Similarly, what a father withholds from his daughter can also affect her expectations toward other men.
I’m always amazed at how many men think they can disregard the father (or the mother) while trying to get to his daughters. That never works with most dads. At least it shouldn’t, for if a father isn’t functioning as his daughter’s best guardian, he’s not doing his God-given job.
I am blessed and honored to be the father of two beautiful, gifted, loving, godly daughters. I thank God for his love and grace in giving me such precious gifts, and I want to be the best dad I can be to them.
Photo by Charlie Hang on Unsplash
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Wise words penned here. Your words are almost familiar -having had the wonderful care/support of a strong Dad who also adored my sister and me. His standards were high, his graciousness generous; however, he did not suffer fools well. Do you think daughters fortunate to lounge in an abiding love of an earthly Pappa find it easier repose confidence in the Heavenly Father? Not as a requirement for that belief, but an aid? btw, Happy Father’s Day! And a wink to my precious Pop who lives “in the mansions THE Father has prepared for us.”