I want my daddy pride! I have two teenage children, a son and a daughter. The two of them really couldn’t be any different and they have been that way from birth. My daughter, Emily, communicates every last thing that she is involved in to my wife, Genevieve, and me. We are thrilled to attend her events and recognize her achievements. On the other hand, we have to practically pry every piece of information we get out of our son, Kenneth.
It isn’t that he doesn’t want us to know what he is doing, it’s just that he is a really private person. Almost everyone I talk to who knows him says what a great young man he is. Even with such esteem from others, he never toots his own horn. Kenneth has been on the swim and scholastic bowl teams since he was in ninth grade. Both seasons have recently come to their conclusion and it wasn’t until after all of the events that he decided to tell his mother and me that he was the captain of both teams.
I wasn’t able to attend every swim meet, but even with the ones I was able to watch there was no way to know that he was the captain. It’s not like the team captains meet in the middle of the pool with the officials for some kind of coin toss. The only way for me to know was if he were to tell me – which he didn’t until after the fact! I felt robbed! I want my daddy pride!
There is something in me, as a father, which wants to rejoice and cheer and carry on when my kids do well. I want my kids to feel my pride at their accomplishments whether they think they are “significant” or not. My children’s victories are important to me. Our Heavenly Father is no different!
The apostle Paul wrote at length to the Corinthian church about the foolishness of following after men.[1] He said naming names like “I am of Apollos” or “I am of Paul” was pointless. Whoever our heroes might be, they are just people. Paul encouraged his readers to live for God to the best of their ability. In fact, Paul went on to say that being found trustworthy before the Lord is what is most required of us. We should strive to live life with a clear conscience as Paul did, knowing that a day of judgment is coming. However, as we have lived for the Lord, this Judgment Day isn’t something to be feared, but something to look forward to. Paul wrote, “…but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God.”[2]
How many times have you heard someone say “Praise God”? Yet, here is a passage that says that God will praise US!!! Not that we are God, but this is His expression of Daddy Pride!!! When our Heavenly Father sees us living our best for Him – when we have been found trustworthy with the talents, gifts, and abilities He has put in us – it fills Him with a joy and delight that causes Him to praise us.
My son, MY SON was the captain of the swim and scholastic bowl teams! WOOHOO! My daughter, my teenage daughter, sings classical opera with the voice of an ANGEL! YEAH, BABY! I will shout their praises! I am proud of them! The day is coming, the Day of Judgment. It will be the day, that as you have lived for God, that your Heavenly Father is going to shout your praises. He will NOT be robbed of the Daddy Pride He has for you, and you will hear it!
