I’ve never had a bad Father’s Day. But, trust me, you can definitely set yourself up for a bad one. How about this: instead of focusing on yourself this Sunday, make the day about your wife and kids. David’s Psalm 103:1-19 can guide you. Here’s how: #1 Preach to yourself. David reminded himself to worship God. Are you discouraged? Maybe you miss your own dad or maybe the weight of a past mistake feels heavier today. Point yourself to God. You’re reading this, so apparently, you woke up today. Praise Him for waking you up. You’re not promised thoughtful gifts or time with your feet up. No, you’re job boils down to worshipping God and being in a good mood. I added the good mood part. #2 Remind yourself how great God is. He blessed you with a wife and kids. Keep reading: He heals sickness, satisfies you, and my fave “He does not deal with you according to your sins.” As bad as your sin against God is, His forgiveness is greater. When you sin, you’re essentially grabbing a shovel, digging a hole, and jumping into a dark pit. Forgiveness is as if God jumps in the pit, offers you a heart transplant, and asks you to recover next to Him in the sun.

WHAT MAKES A HEALTHY PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP? Don’t kid yourself: Fatherhood is hard work. But it’s not an impossible task. With some loving care and focused attention, your parent-child relationship can be one of the greatest joys in your life. Discover some ways you can strengthen your skill as a dad and nurture your connection with your kids.

ESTABLISHING YOUR POINTS SYSTEM AS A DAD: Whether you’re a “big man on campus” or the guy quietly working behind the scenes, you want to know how to measure success as a man—how many points you’re scoring in any given area in life. And you’re not alone in that. To use sports analogies, we all want to know that we’re putting the ball in the basket or moving closer to our goal. Learning to score points as a dad and husband is often hard. In this show, we’ll discuss some ways you can “score points.” But know this upfront; It’s not about comparison. It’s about commitment, and it can be a game-changer!

“The most important decision you make is to be in a good mood.” —Voltaire

“Be not afraid of saying too much in the praises of God; all the danger is of saying too little.” —Matthew Henry

“God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.” —C.S. Lewis

“God intends the Christian life to be a life of joy—not drudgery. The idea that holiness is associated with a dour disposition is a caricature of the worst sort. In fact, just the opposite is true. Only those who walk in holiness experience true joy.” —Jerry Bridges

Do your job. Feel like you’ve lost your way? For me to say, “You should praise God” sound crazy right now? If so, recognize that, if you wanna have real connection to God, be constantly growing in your knowledge of Him. How does that happen? His Word. Knowing God takes loving His Word. Knowing God matters greatly to you, your wife, and your kids. “As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.” Your job this week: keep sitting next to God.

Kent Evans
Author of Bring Your Hammer, co-founder of Manhood Journey

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.