Great Advice, Dad!

I asked a question on Facebook: “What’s the best advice you ever received from your dad?”

My friend Vicki’s dad advised her to go into teaching—for the good pension! She took his advice, taught for over forty years, and continuously advanced her education, improving both her salary and her retirement benefits. She tapped in early to what many of us don’t think about until retirement age is rapidly approaching and we’ve been diddling life away at part-time work or jobs without pension benefits. Now she’s enjoying the freedom and security of that long-ago choice. (That said, if Vicki hadn’t also been cut out to be a wonderful teacher, such advice might have made her life mighty miserable.)

Debbie’s dad taught her to never trust anyone who is mean to an animal. Solid advice. According to the Animal Legal Defense Fund, people who hurt animals often don’t stop with animals. One 2013 study found that 43% of those who commit school massacres also committed acts of cruelty to animals — generally against cats and dogs. If a child behaves cruelly to animals, research shows it may be a sign that serious abuse or neglect has been inflicted on the child. Children who witness animal abuse are at greater risk of becoming abusers themselves. As sad as that is, none of it surprises us. While trusting an animal abuser is not advisable, a much higher road would be to compassionately view that individual as someone in dire need of help.

Susan’s dad taught her that you can never out-give the Lord. I believe this, and because I know her parents and have witnessed their generosity over the years, I know they practice what they preach. Think of all the people we could bless if we truly tried to out-give God!

Charlie, one of my high school classmates, offered this: “‘If you have a small business, if you can keep from borrowing to operate, you will do much better.’ It was good advice and it worked for me!” Charlie is a successful rancher in South Dakota.

My own brother-in-law advised his daughter, Erin, that “Worry works.” His reasoning almost makes sense. He says, “Most of the things I’ve worried about never happened.” So, keep worrying, everyone. And if you can’t think of enough things to worry about, I can probably help you out.

Robin says her dad taught her this valuable bit: “Any job worth doing is worth doing well, whether it’s a high-paying government job or picking up litter along a highway. Do it with the pride that you are a contributing member of society!” I love that, and I hope we can also dignify others who do those undervalued jobs.

I appreciate this one, from Linda. “If you find happiness in receiving, you’ll never be happy because there will always be something else you want. But if you find happiness in giving, you’ll always be happy because there will always be someone with a need.”

A different Linda was told by her father to never let someone else take the blame for her mistakes. That’s golden. It’s hard to imagine anyone else being willing to take the blame for my mistakes, and even harder to think about living with the guilt from such deceitfulness if they did.

I can think of one major exception to this rule. Out of his great love for me, Jesus took the punishment (not the blame—there’s a difference) for my sins and mistakes, and I accept his gift with gratitude. In some cases, I know I must live with the consequences of my actions, but the punishment was His alone to bear.

I suppose that’s something my dad taught me.

Thanks for all the awesome advice, dads. Happy Father’s Day!