What if Fatherhood Was a Job

Parenthood

Being a parent is an awesome responsibility – one of the most serious and necessary responsibilities in our lives. This is a responsibility that lies outside of the workforce and being a father can never be considered a “job” in a labor sense. But what if someone were to list a job description for a father? What would such a description look like?

Perhaps it would look something like:

Position: Father. Fill immediately! Responsibilities include:

• Manager. Must provide leadership services for an age-diverse and sometimes contentious group (cf. 1 Tim. 3:4,5). Must maintain cool and composure under challenging circumstances and provide proper example.

• Instructor. Must provide instruction when asked for and/or necessarily needed. Expected to have answers for questions covering a plethora of subjects, but focused primarily upon the wisdom of God (cf. Pro. 4:1ff).

• Quartermaster. Must provide necessary provisions for immediate and future physical and spiritual needs. May be asked to sacrifice personal interests and materials as to ensure that all needs are properly met (cf. 1 Tim. 5:8).

• Security guard. Must ensure that those under charge are protected from physical, emotional, and spiritual harm in a sometimes hostile environment. Must demonstrate readiness to face personal danger, sometimes at risk of great harm (cf. John 15:13).

Employment type: Full-time (including nights and weekends).

Compensation:

• Monetary compensation: None.

• Bonus compensation and rewards: If employment terms met and those under charge meet goals set forth by God, the rewards are beyond measure.

Of course, fatherhood is not a job in a labor sense. However, there are many fathers worthy of honor doing this “job” each and every day without pay or concern for temporal reward. Let’s be sure to remember what kind of “job” they are doing and how much we appreciate them.