Christian Fatherhood, Biblical Fatherhood is not automatic. There is work and Sacrifice. Failure and fun. Hope and prayers and perseverance. 

Knowing what that actually means and seeing what it looks like in today’s world go a long way toward making Christian Fatherhood possible. 

So let’s review some characteristics of a father, according to the Bible, and then check out some great books that would make good Christian fathers day gifts! 

 *Please note that this post contains affiliate links, where at no extra cost to you, if you purchase through my link, I may receive a small percentage to help support this blogging ministry. I received a copy of this book from the author through one of the groups listed in my disclosure page. I chose to review it here and all thoughts are my own. You can read my full disclosure here.

Characteristics of a Father According to the Bible

Let’s examine a few of the best characteristics of a father according to the Bible. I would say the biblical definition of a father, a good one at least, has to begin with some of the more general instructions to all believers.

• Love One Another

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

1 John 4:7 NIV

1 Corinthians 13 explains what love is, with action words. It’s not a marriage passage primarily, but instructions to the church at large. Drilling down into specific relationships such as marriage and parenting brings out nuances because they tighten the view. But we are primarily part of God’s family, and relating to one another (even as parent/child) in that context is important!

• Justice, Mercy, and Humility. We can’t succeed without these, operating in our own power!

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8 NIV

Bible Verses about Fatherhood

Specific to Christian fatherhood, though, are these Bible verses about fatherhood:

Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Ephesians 6:4 NIV

1: Do not exasperate your children. Don’t be deliberately difficult! This is different than standing by rules meant to teach and protect. That’s necessary. But when you are not willing to be inconvenienced or flexible in things that aren’t super critical or are overly harsh, that’s a problem.

2: Bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. This means making purposeful time for prayer and Bible reading, but it also means situational instruction and being a living witness.

But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Joshua 24:15, NIV

If we’re going to make this statement, that our household will serve the Lord, then as fathers and mothers, we need to be actively serving the Lord and leading by example. Know that this doesn’t often mean quitting our day job, but serving well where we are planted. Without complaining and grumbling?

As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;

Psalm 103:13

Compassion. Caring about both the physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing of others, and acting like it really matters to us. This verse shows the parallel between our parenting compassion and God’s. It also shines a light on the fact that many times, we view God’s level of compassion as parallel to how much compassion our parents had. Sometimes that’s awesome, and sometimes not so much. Just a thought.

And Deuteronomy 6 talks a lot about the lack of separation between our beliefs and our daily lives. How we’re to look at, and teach our kids to look at all things through a Biblical, or God-centered worldview. (Not over spiritualizing, but also holding nothing separate from God’s realm.)

Memorable Christian Books for Father’s Day 

If you’re part of a healthy father/daughter relationship, check out Under the Dancing Tree. It’s definitely a picture book for all ages,

Full of the Sweet moments between a father and daughter, spreading through the years. From her first moments to her wedding, Dad is there. And the illustrations are gorgeous!

This would be one of the best Christian books for Father’s Day you can find!

As a daughter, this book is captivating. It reminds me of “I’ll love you Forever” (which always makes me cry) or maybe “Yonder” while being entirely unique.

Find Under the Dancing Tree Here:

I received a copy of Under the Dancing Tree from the author and chose to review it here. All thoughts are my own.

Let’s Have a Daddy Day by Karen Kingsbury
This is So sweet. This story is full of imagination and play. Adventure with Dad doesn’t have to be complicated or a big deal. Simple moments are the way to go. Christian fatherhood means treasuring the time we are given with our kids.

You can find Let’s Have a Daddy Day here:

Stand Strong: 365 Devotions For Men By Men

My husband and I were recently privileged to receive a copy of this devotional from @netgalley. We are hit and miss, but most nights, we get to read one. Stand Strong is very good!

It’s one of those short inspirational devotionals that takes less than 2 minutes to read, but as my husband said, “its good. I think about what we read the next day.”  And with quotes like this, who wouldn’t think about them again the next day?

“Remember the steady pace of Cliff Young and the apostle Paul as you run your race. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, so “let us run with endurance the race God has set before us”

“Jesus asks the same of us today. He asks us to follow Him, love Him, obey Him, and tell others about Him. Like the apostles, we don’t know what our commitment to Jesus might bring.”

Find the Stand Strong Men’s Devotional here:

The Best of Biblical Fatherhood in Today’s World 

Courageous, By Randy Alcorn, Based on the Kendricks Movie

You know how it is, the book is always better. And that’s hard to do when you start with such a powerful movie as Courageous! But Randy Alcorn is an amazing author, and you won’t be disappointed with the power of this novel, which explores the characteristics of a father according to the Bible, while you enjoy a great story (which makes truth connect just a bit better!)!

Find Courageous here:

Past Forward by Chautona Havig: I reviewed the culture shock aspects in Past Forward recently. Today, I want to share a bit more, but from a Christian Fatherhood perspective. 

At first glance, a book about an orphaned young woman who never knew her earthly father wouldn’t have much to say about biblical fatherhood.  But as the story goes deeper, Willow’s grandfather, father-in-law, and uncle-in-law show incredible examples in parenting adult children. These men show many of the best characteristics of a father according to the Bible, over the course of the series.

Find your copy of Past Forward here:

Carol Moncado’s Good Enough for a Princess: Again, not what you were expecting, I’m sure. But both the king and the ‘hero’ (an average single dad) are remarkably good examples of Christian fatherhood. They do what’s best, with a longer view than we want to consider in the moment.

Not really impressed with the queen a few times, but hey, no family’s perfect, right? 
Both men treasure their daughters. Protecting them training them, and enjoying them. 

Find Good Enough for a Princess here:

Other Books That Might Interest You

• 5 Steps to Financial Freedom
• Hidden Among the Stars (WWII Fiction, remarkable fathers)
• The Baggage Handler (Fiction Dealing with Emotional Baggage)
• Leaving a Legacy of Faith as a Christian Mom

Christian Fatherhood 101 for Step-fathers

Aggie’s Inheritance series by Chautona Havig: Aggie’s in college when she inherits her 8 nieces and nephews. She’s in over her head.

But Luke.

Man, Luke’s learned from his own growing up what real Christian Fatherhood looks like. Firm, kind, looking to the long term best interests, and more. And he starts that role as the handyman. Because kids need that. They need a strong and compassionate father, whether he’s there full time or not. 

Find Aggie’s Story Here

Pretense by Lori Wick: As a teen, I checked this out of the library approximately every 9 months. I wasn’t disciplined enough to wait a whole year between readings, and I didn’t buy books except at thrift stores. But now I finally have my own copy!

Both their birth father at the beginning of the book, and later the stepfather, are very memorable examples of Christian Fatherhood. From (seemingly) small things like putting their mother first when he walks in the door to much bigger and long-lasting care of both girls’ hearts, Pretense gives you good ideas on parenting through tragedy and rebellion. 

Find Pretense here:

Action Packed Christian Fatherhood 

The Agency Files by Chautona Havig: While Christian Fatherhood is not the focus in this series, there are 2 dads who stand out as incredible examples. They are unique (odd) but solid fathers.

Most of this action-packed series is from Keith’s point of view, and he wrestles with his Christian faith in light of his career which occasionally involves kidnapping people (for their protection, of course). Yep. Tough to make that work!

Find the Agency Files here: 

Coat of the Ancients by Brandan Hadlock

There’s nothing quite like being thrown into the middle of the story. There’s action and drama from page 1 in Coat of the Ancients. The author does an excellent job of explaining the immediate backstory and still keeping the action moving forward. The story is made rich by the switching of perspective throughout. We get to be inside most of the characters heads, to keep up with what is happening. It really works well for this story.

 John Case is determined to protect his family and provide for them, no matter what. If that means sleepless nights or attempting the impossible, so be it. Doing the right thing costs him much, but he does it anyway.

As far as Christian Fatherhood goes, protect and provide goes deeper than the material world. He and his family pray actively and trust God. Even when it does not make sense. John makes a great role model for his sons and any readers.

The cuts to the Tower of Babel and ancient history are neat. I like biblical fiction, and seeing one possibility of what happened around the confusion of language and dispersion is interesting. Of course, Nimrod’s coat makes it all the more intriguing.

There is enough of a cliffhanger for me to be looking forward to the next book, but not so much that it makes you feel gypped.

Find Coat of the Ancients here:

* I did receive a copy of Coat of the Ancients from the author, which was a nice treat but did not affect my review. All thoughts are my own.

Christian Fatherhood in Training 

Flabbergasted hooked me right off the bat. It’s a trilogy, Christian singles, from the guy’s perspective. I hadn’t experienced anything like it before.

These young men are just trying to figure out life, and girls, and faith. It’s clean, hysterical and honestly, very thought-provoking. 

If you have yet to reach a point of Christian Fatherhood or look back on those days in your ‘carefree’ 20s (haha) this is the series for you! 

Did We Solve Your Christian Father’s Day Gift Dilemma?

Hopefully you found an idea for your next gift for dad, whether it’s a Christian father’s day gift or some other occasion. And some encouragement from those Bible verses about fatherhood.

Whether it’s in fiction, nonfiction, or even real life, I’d love to hear about your favorite role-model of Biblical fatherhood. These guys should get a round of applause, and some study.

Until Next Time, Love God, Love Books, Shine The Light!!