Crazy story in 1 Kings about Adonijah. Summarizing: he staged a coup to take David’s throne; he was rebuffed; then, after being allowed to live, asked for the (then) deceased king’s maid’s hand in marriage (the nerve!?); that request got him killed (turns out, that old adage, “It never hurts to ask,” isn’t quite reliable). Go read it. One phrase jumped out at me. As he staged his coup, “…his father had never rebuked him at any time by asking, ‘Why have you done so?'” So, here we have a guy whose dad had never stepped in and challenged him. Who was his dad? The same king he was trying to dethrone! What in the world?! Of all David’s positive attributes, he certainly had a sketchy record of managing his own children. Talk about family drama. The Family of David would’ve made for a riveting reality TV show. Here’s the point: Dad, do you see your children acting willfully out of God’s commands? Are you (gently, prayerfully, carefully) stepping in to ask them about their choices? It just might be time.

How to be a good husband: An easy step to being a good husband is simply being nice. Treat your bride with kindness. Choose a simple act of kindness to do every day for your wife. And mix it up. Variety will keep you thinking about her and ways you can demonstrate your affection

How would our wives and kids rate us as dads? Whoa, that’s a scary question, right? But, worse than knowing the answer is having no clue at all. It can be hard to know how we’re doing as dads and whether we’re making progress. We probably don’t want weekly surveys from our wives or kids (yikes!). So, let’s ask ourselves some questions: Where are we now? Where are we going? Do we have the right equipment for the journey?

“A child who is allowed to be disrespectful to his parents will not have true respect for anyone.” – Billy Graham

“Children are not casual guests in our home. They have been loaned to us temporarily for the purpose of loving them and instilling a foundation of values on which their future lives will be built.” – James Dobson

“Nothing makes it easier to resist temptation than a proper bringing-up, a sound set of values – and witnesses.” – Franklin P. Jones

Consider whether it’s time. Perhaps you’ve been watching your children make a mistake, and you were hesitant to jump in. This should be done with gentleness, and we need to prayerfully pick our spots. And, we’re after sinful patterns, not preferences that don’t align with ours (voting choices, sports teams, music and tattoos, to name a few). Dad, maybe it’s time to step in and help your child avoid some terrible consequences?

Kent Evans
Author of The Manhood Journey, co-founder of Manhood Journey and Father On Purpose.

P.S. Was this Mountain Monday helpful? Tell me if you love it, hate it, or if there’s something you’d like in the next one.

Forward this to a dad you know who needs some encouragement.