Combativeness is not a gift nor a virtue. I try to convey this to my boys every day when they fight or are unkind to one another. The goal is kingship. Kings control themselves and their emotions for the sake of the people. So too, boys need to control their tempers and their bodies for the good of their siblings. Fathers, therefore, need to stress a kind of gracious convictionality. We do not wish to see our boys fall for every new trend nor feel as if every battle is a battle worth fighting. Combative fathers can easily lose their sons or create combative heirs. There is a lot more to be said here, but perhaps this will stir some fruitful conversations.
