Niceville Campus eLetter
Thursday, May 13, 2021
From our Worship Minister
The Monster of Fatherhood?
Like many of you, the "Befriending your Monsters" series has challenged me to go places that are difficult to navigate. A monster that God is now shining light on in my life is a monster that is so crafty it decided to take a new shape in one of the most joyful experiences in my life. I call it, the "Monster of Fatherhood." About a month before my precious boy changed my life forever, my wife and I had some hard conversations. I confessed to her that I was terrified to become a dad. There were many fears flooding my mind every day, and the most glaring was... "Will I be enough?"
My incredible wife, 8 months pregnant, with her own fears, so graciously reminded me that this monster wasn’t new at all. It was an old friend that decided to rebrand himself. This was the monster of identity. For too long I struggled to know who I was in Christ, because I was terrified that if anyone knew me, the real me, they would run the other direction. As a father, this temptation is no different. If we can just only show our kids the best parts of us then they will only grow up with those parts. We all know that this isn’t true at all. God has given each of us a unique testimony, to share with one another how God has redeemed the brokenness we once carried.
The monsters inside us seek to keep that testimony hidden, because the light of our testimony destroys the power these monsters have. The best Father in existence is teaching me that these testimonies hold power for our kids as well. He is teaching me that as long as my identity is found in Him alone, and the finished work of Jesus Christ, then He will do the rest in my son. I pray that if you are a man burdened with this Monster of Fatherhood that you would bring it to the light and let your testimony bring it into submission.
Peace,
