Maybe you’ve never said the exact words, “I don’t know where to start”? But, many dads tell us this—in some way. I’ll never forget this one morning, years ago, before dropping my oldest daughter at school. She was eating breakfast when she asked me, “Daddy, how many people are in space right now?” The specificity of her question piqued my interest. Now I wanted to know how many people were in space RIGHT NOW.



So, in one of my many brilliant moments of godly fathering, I replied, “I have no idea, Bella, let’s google it!” She and I were surprised to find the website “How Many People Are in Space Right Now?” If you’re wondering, there are five people in space—right now.

Why do I tell you this story?

Besides telling you about a site where you can wow your kids with space knowledge, I’m going somewhere here. What if I just told Bella, “I don’t know,” and left it at that? She’d probably be fine with it and move on with other questions. It’s no big deal if dad doesn’t know how many people are in space at this moment, right?

Here’s my point

When it comes what we call “The Inertia Obstacle” we can get caught in this weird trap of comfort—in not starting—in not knowing. The less we know the better. The more questions we answer the more questions we’ll get, right. So we can shut down and coast.

It can sometimes feel easier NOT to start something than to start it.

If you’re like most of our readers, you’re committed to your work, your wife, and you’re physically present in your child’s life. You’re already doing “all the things.”

But are you intentional about the spiritual development of your child? Do you have a real plan? That’s where we come in. We want you to move from “I don’t know where to start” to feeling confident in saying: I am intentionally discipling my child.

There’s one thing we know from experience. If you’re intentional, you’ll face obstacles. The six most common obstacles EVERY dad faces are as follows:

  1. The Ignorance Obstacle > “I didn’t know it was my job.”
  2. The Inertia Obstacle > “I don’t know where to start.”
  3. The Delegation Obstacle > “I’ll let someone else do it.”
  4. The Guilt Obstacle > “Who am I to talk?”
  5. The Procrastination Obstacle > “I’ve got plenty of time.”
  6. The Despair Obstacle > “My kid’s too far gone.”

Last time we talked about The Ignorance Obstacle. Now, let’s talk about The Inertia Obstacle. In this post, we’ll cover how it sounds, how it interferes, how to remove it and how Scripture helps.

How It Sounds

The inertia obstacle sounds like this: “I don’t know where to start.”

How It Interferes

Inertia is the resistance of any physical object to any change in its state of motion; this includes changes to its speed, direction or state of rest. When we’re sitting still, we tend to keep on sitting still unless a force of change helps us get moving.

Have you ever felt too tired to go for a jog, only to muster up enough energy to get outside for said jog—and then feel better and have more energy after the jog than if you stayed on the sofa?

Here’s the little secret to discipling your child. It really doesn’t matter how or where we begin. It only matters that we engage. The Holy Spirit takes care of the rest. You simply have to decide to start.

Your children might know more than you do, or they might ask questions you don’t know how to answer. That’s OK! In fact, them knowing more than you is a good sign. They’re progressing and owning their faith.

I don’t mean to scare you, but at some point, no matter how smart you are, your child will ask you something to which you don’t have the answer. I know, shocker, right!

Here’s the cool part

Here’s the cool part, if your child asks a confounding question, that’s your opportunity to dig in and find the answer together. This kind of mutual spiritual discovery bonds you together like superglue.

Years ago, I completed Apple sales training. One rule Apple had was: You can’t tell a customer, “I don’t know.” You have to say, “I’m not sure, let’s find out.” It’s not great customer service (or customer service at all!) to simply say, “I don’t know.”

Do you hear the shift in mindset from “I don’t know” to “I’m not sure, let’s find out!”? You’re admitting you don’t have the answer readily available, but you’re committing to finding the answer together. You’re in the game.

The next time your child asks you a tough question, we have a new rule. You can’t say, “I don’t know.” Instead, you have to say, “I’m not sure, let’s find out.” Bam, you win at fatherhood and life!

Can you see how the “inertia obstacle” interferes with being a godly dad?

How to Remove It

1) Begin somewhere: Ask your child for prayer requests or simply ask questions geared to getting your child to open up. Read a verse from Proverbs at dinner to spark discussion. Just do something. If you need a plan, try starting with this father and son Bible study.
2) Get accountable: Text your best friend this, “Hey, I’m going to try and be more intentional in discipling my kids. Pray for me. Ask me how it’s going in a few weeks!”
3) Be transparent: Ask your spouse, “I’d like to be more engaged in our kids’ spiritual growth. What are some ideas you have on this?”

How Scripture Helps

But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. —John 14:26

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight. —Proverbs 3:5-6

Now that we know how The Inertia Obstacle sounds, how it interferes, how to remove it and how Scripture helps, we can start building the next generation of godly men. We’ll unpack more obstacles in future posts, so join us by grabbing your free eBook Identify and Destroy. Let’s walk this journey together.