Several years ago, I wrote an open letter to men who hate being dads. I was a little shocked about how mad guys got about it. Just check out the comments section. One of the mistakes I think a lot of the commenters made is not thinking long-term. They couldn’t get past the trial they were currently facing. There’s no doubt that the early years of being a father are overwhelming and difficult, especially when the relationship with the child’s mother is strained.

However, there are many long-term benefits to being a dad that we need to keep in mind. We need to focus on these when we are tired, discouraged, and perhaps at a loss with fatherhood. Here are 4 long-term benefits of being a dad.

1. Lasting Relationships

One of the arguments I made in the letter against a man leaving his family is that it will be lonely. Of course, a man can feel lonely as a husband and father. However, when you invest and sacrifice for your family, you build close relationships. Family relationships aren’t always tighter, but they are a great position to be. There’s a foundation for a connection that’s not like any other. You’re always tied together by blood and history.

2. Living Longer

A study this past year showed that being a father could be detrimental to your health, citing heart problems. However, the same researchers also found that being a dad may also cause men to live longer. According to the researchers, fathers have more of a support system with their kids being able to help take care of them later in life. So, being a dad can help you live longer.

3. Maturity

One of my favorite Scripture verses is 1 Corinthians 13:11. It says, “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I put away childish things.” Nothing makes you grow and mature more than caring for someone else. That’s one of the benefits of being a faithful and engaged dad. By sacrificing for another you can grow in empathy, love, responsibility, humility, patience, and many more qualities that make you a better human being.

4. Purpose

Obviously, you don’t have to have kids to have purpose. However, having, loving, and raising kids is a deeply meaningful purpose. It is a worthwhile thing for a man to invest his life in that has the potential to impact generations of people. With every faithful, fatherly act, imagine the impact it has on your future grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Sound off: What are some other long-term benefits of being a dad?