Raising Men, Not Boys, by Mike Fabarez

The danger of reading a book like Raising Men, Not Boys: Shepherding Your Sons to Be Men of God after your sons are pretty much grown is that you might end up thinking, "Ugh, there is so much that I could have and should have done differently."  The good news for me, whose sons are 17 and 19, is that my boys are godly young men, so I must have done something right.  The good news for dads of younger boys is that pastor Mike Fabarez has provided a guide for getting there.

Raising Men, Not Boys gives clear direction without condemnation, lifestyle guidelines without onerous strictness.  You can't talk about raising kids without some nod toward rules, but Fabarez makes it clear that he is not a legalist, especially not in a theological sense.  "Good behavior as a means to gaining or keeping a relationship with God is offensive to God, but good behavior done to please God by those who are in relationship with him is prized by God." 

Besides cultivating a heart that leans toward obedience, Fabarez provides strong, practical tips for parenting boys.  Promote physical activity, instill a solid work ethic, promote wise financial choices, learn balance in entertainment choices.  All told, Fabarez isn't particularly innovative in his guidance and recommendations.  But he provides wisdom and very practical, applicable suggestions that you can immediately implement, all under a broad attitude of living in godliness.  One of his themes is that we must model behaviors we expect our sons to emulate.  Being a dad isn't easy.  Fabarez gives help and hope for shaping godly men.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!