“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). I’ve enjoyed the Bible in One Year reading plan from Alpha founder Nicky Gumbel. About this verse, he said, “His grace is not only amazing; it is sufficient. It is enough. I often quote this verse to God and remind him of his promise that his power is made perfect in my weakness.” One challenge I have as a father – and I’ve talked with hundreds of other dads who’d say the same – we try to father from our own power. We are trying to do the work of fatherhood from our own effort, energy and experience. We get tired. It’s like trying to fly by just flapping our arms ferociously. The reason it’s so exhausting is because we’re not meant to do it alone. We can’t be perfect, and we can’t ever “do enough”. We are not enough, but His grace is. Let’s rest in that and when we’re super tired, remind God of His own promise. He loves it when we talk back to Him…uh…with His own words!

Serving Others Like Jesus Did: For many guys, the idea of servanthood carries a lot of mental and emotional baggage. But a careful examination of Scripture reveals that we can’t escape a couple of basic facts. First, Jesus came to be a servant, as well as the Savior. Second, He expects us to follow His example. Thankfully, we can look to Him to learn the best ways to serve others like He did.

Mark Hancock on Raising Godly Boys: Young boys face a wide array of challenges in our culture. They need godly mentors to come alongside them and pour into their lives. After finding success in both the secular and church worlds, Mark Hancock decided to use his love of nature to become one of those mentors—and to help other men who shared his passion for raising godly men.

“In place of our exhaustion and spiritual fatigue, God will give us rest. All He asks is that we come to Him…that we spend a while thinking about Him, meditating on Him, talking to Him, listening in silence, occupying ourselves with Him – totally and thoroughly lost in the hiding place of His presence.” – Chuck Swindoll

“No soul can be really at rest until it has given up all dependence on everything else and has been forced to depend on the Lord alone. As long as our expectation is from other things, nothing but disappointment awaits us.” – Hannah Whitall Smith

“He who cannot rest, cannot work; he who cannot let go, cannot hold on; he who cannot find footing, cannot go forward.” – Harry Emerson Fosdick

Stop flapping. Just for a minute, this week, consider where – as a father – you’re flapping your arms but not getting off the ground. Metaphorically speaking, that is. Cuz, if you’re actually flapping your arms a lot, we have other issues to discuss. Anyhow, think on it. Where are you trying to be more than you can be? To do more than you can do? To live on and father out of your own power? Turn it over to God and let his grace be sufficient for you.

Kent Evans
Author of Bring Your Hammer, 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.