The Challenge of being a Father and holding a Professional career – a personal account
By John Lanta
Holding a professional career may look wonderful on the outside but it comes with great expectations; and the stress it brings is only known to the person who holds the career. The ability to hold onto the job depends on a number of things, but ultimately it’s one’s ability to do the job well.
As an instructor in math at Unitech, my work is mostly done under contract. This means that the contract can only be renewed if the organisation is happy with my work at the end of each contract period (3 years). This brings with it a lot of pressure each time as I cannot expect that my contract will automatically be renewed. As a result, for the rest of my career I have to do my best to honour this contract and meet its constant demands.
I have learned that to give your best, two precious assets are demanded of you: time and energy. Your work definitely will demand extra hours outside your normal working hours. Usually this is the option taken to provide quality in planning and teaching; or, other responsibilities like research that cannot be done during normal working hours. As an academic, research shows that there is an ongoing desire to improve one’s knowledge and skills, which is a very important part of contract renewal.
Coupled with this is the responsibility of being a godly husband to my wife and father to my children. I will focus on the role of the father. Sadly, many men think if they can provide food, shelter, clothing, security and education for their children they have done their job. Although a good friend might encourage you, and your wife gently admonition you at times, no one ever really checks how well you are doing your job as a father. This means for many the pressure is less. Not so for a believer in Christ!
For a believer, the demand is just as enormous as your professional career. In fact, as a Christian father, you could say, I have a spiritual contract with God to care for my children. I have promised at their baptism to raise them to love and serve the Lord. But again, two precious assets are needed: time and energy. As a father, the family needs your time and energy at home. Your presence helps with order at home and allows your family to socially and emotionally interact with you. Then, as the spiritual head of your home, you have to lead your family to Christ, to weekly Sunday worship and see them grow under your Biblical teaching and leadership.
God must be part of your daily schedule, especially through prayer and meditation on His Word.
To maintain this on a daily basis seems almost impossible. However, as a believer I am called to be obedient to the Lord. Just as there are principles and guidelines that I have to follow in my professional career, there are also those that I follow in responsibility to my family. Of course, this is more challenging than if I chose not to have any principles in life. Because Christ has saved me and I am now living for Him, the old has gone and the new has come. I feel a deep burden to keep watch over my children as they grow in our home. Yes, this can be very tiring/exhausting but there is no other way. 1 Corinthians 16:13 calls us to “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men and be strong.” In Christ we must work hard to be dedicated fathers in the home.
I have been guilty many times of not sharing my time properly between both responsibilities. It is a challenge. I continue to live knowing that the demands of both responsibilities continue to grow and change with time. But one thing I have learnt is that without Christ’s help, meeting these demands is impossible. I know I am not perfect; I cannot meet the full requirement of both responsibilities. However, where I fall short I pray that God, in His amazing grace, will turn my weak efforts into something worthwhile for His glory.
Friends, God deserves praise and honour on a daily basis no matter what responsibilities you have. And God must be part of your daily schedule, especially through prayer and meditation on His Word. I start my day in the Word and prayer and I end it with prayer. I ask God for the strength and wisdom to complete my tasks each day, knowing that every day is not the same. I pray that in my work, I follow the path of righteousness and that the Lord keeps all temptation and evil far from me. And in following the path of righteousness, I can know that my Lord will be glorified and exalted in my home and in my place of work at Unitech. At the end of the day, I say a prayer of thankfulness, asking forgiveness for my sins and failures, protection for the night and energy for the day ahead. This has been the content of my personal prayers in regards to my responsibilities, apart from other prayer sessions with the family – always believing that “I can do all through Christ who strengthens me” Philippians 4:13.