Author: McDowell, Josh
Genre:
Tags: Christian Living / Cross / Discipleship, Parenting / Family
Series:
Rick Shrader‘s Review:
I have read Josh McDowell all my life, especially his books on apologetics. This was a different kind of book from him, however, but a good addition to his list. He describes his own “disfunctional” childhood and how he learned all he knows about parenting from being a parent and a student of God’s Word. McDowell gives ten “commitments” (“I will do my best to…”) that he asks fathers to make when raising their children. They are good and yet common: “I will do my best to be an authentic model,” for example. In much of the book one benefits from his apologetic background, especially in those chapters where the commitment is to explain the Word of God to our children. If there is any weakness in his approach it would be in the occasional use of psychology. Whereas other biblical approaches would base our accountability on our servanthood to God and His Word (MacArthur, Tripp), McDowell basis that accountability on our relationship and acceptance toward our children. In the end he brings it back to our fear of God but he takes a while to get there. Overall, I benefited from the book and found a lot of practical helps for fathers.