Bad Dads of the Bible

Book excerpt: Some of the most noted, celebrated and godly men in the Bible made some very big mistakes when it came to raising their children. Roland Warren, president of the National Fatherhood Initiative, calls these errors "bad dad" mistakes. Bad Dads of the Bible examines these mistakes, brings them into a contemporary setting and gives today's dads much-needed advice on how to avoid them. Moreover, should a dad unfortunately make some of these mistakes, this book will give him practical advice and an easy-to-follow road map to help him repair his relationships with his children before it's too late. This book is unique because it brings to life ancient Biblical narratives and stories and creatively illustrates important fathering principles in a way that is sure to engage today's dads and help them move from inspiration to action. This book also addresses a troubling notion that is held by many pastors and Christian fathers, a notion that has hampered the church's ability to meet fathers at their point of need. There is a shared perspective and misconception that if we can just help men be better Christians, they will automatically be better dads. In other words, the thinking is that good Christian men will equal good Christian fathers. This certainly sounds logical. But, when you examine the lives of so many men whose stories are chronicled in the Bible, you quickly detect a disturbing pattern. Many of them, even men who had deep and abiding hearts for God, made some rather serious mistakes as fathers that often negatively impacted generations. Therefore, if these fathers had problems, why wouldn't fathers today? Warren believes that this is why God made sure that these "bad dad" mistakes were front and center, consequences and all, in so many of the Biblical narratives. God truly loves fatherhood and fathers, and He wanted these mistakes to be easy to find. Yet, few fathers really take the time to examine them or have strategies to avoid them. Hopefully, as dads study the examples of the fatherhood legacies of men like Abraham, David and Eli, men who loved God deeply, they will learn from their mistakes. More importantly, this book can serve as a clarion call for men to take action now to be the fathers that God designed them to be. There is a saying that a wise man learns from his mistakes. This is true. But the wisest man always learns from the mistakes of others. Each chapter includes Reflection, Correction, and Connection sections at the end to help dads easily apply what they have read, as well as a "Good Dad Promise" to pave the way for future good parenting decisions.