The words of affirmation that a father gives to her daughter mean more than we will ever know. The Bible emphasizes the power behind words.
Proverbs 12:6 says, "The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the mouth of the upright delivers them." Judging by the way the wise King Solomon put it, words have serious weight if to bring forth death or deliverance.
We can be assured that -- fortunately or unfortunately -- our words will define our children. I don't think I will ever meet a parent, whether Christian or non-Christian, who wants to see their children deprived of life, but many fail to see the importance and weight our words have in their lives. With this in mind, let us be motivated by the need to speak forth life into the lives of our daughters.
Here are four things that fathers should constantly tell their daughters to speak forth life into them:
"I love you."
We may think that this should be a given and that it doesn't have to be said. After all, actions speak louder than words right? As true as it is that words should back up our claims, the human heart can sometimes misinterpret when no words are given to be backed up in the first place.
The need for love is the greatest void that the heart must see filled and it's no different for our daughters.
"You are precious."
The value of women is heavily dependent on the value they perceive they have to their fathers. That is why parents, most especially fathers, should assure their daughters of their value and help them grow a love for the self.
We see a Biblical example of this in the lives of the daughters of Zelophehad found in Numbers 27:1-11. Even though the law declared that the five daughters would be homeless and poor (you can read the story to learn more details as to why this was so), God called for Moses to change the law because in God's eyes, they were precious beyond compare and He was looking for an opportunity to establish that.
"I will always be there for you."
Just as our heavenly Father has assured us many times in His scripture that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 4:6, Joshua 1:5, Psalm 94:14, Hebrews 13:5), He has called earthly fathers to be a reflection of His heart and assure children, especially daughters, of the same promise.
Our daughters will grow up, yes, but the day will never come that they will no longer need us. Even as they become the women God has called them to be, they will look to us fathers for love, friendship and guidance.
"God is with us."
As spiritual leaders of the household, we find it both a duty and a delight to lead our children to Christ. As we do so, we teach our children to trust God in every circumstance and build their individual and personal faith in the faithful God that we all serve.
Until we acknowledge and encourage our children to build direct relationships with God, they will always look to us as mediators instead of approaching God personally.
