“…but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…” (Gal 5:22-23) Dad, have you ever said, “I need more fruit of the Spirit,” as if it’s something you can drive to the store and load up on? “Honey! I’m gonna run to the market and grab some more patience! I’ll be back in a hurry!” I’ve done that. There’s truth in that statement. I definitely need more patience, gentleness… (ok, I could re-list all of them!). Yet, it’s the fruit of the Spirit, not of Kent’s grit, drive, and stick-to-itiveness. I need to humbly ask God to allow more of His fruit to flow through my life. And, as Paul warns in 1 Thessalonians 5, I need to avoid doing things that quench the Spirit. Let’s receive this fruit, not try to manufacture it.

John Piper has said, “America is the first culture in jeopardy of amusing itself to death.” I agree with Piper. We seem to be so busy looking for entertainment, that we risk missing the point.

Is your kid wasting the Summer? Okay, here’s the question as we’re now into a good chunk of summer: How do you know if your kid is wasting the Summer? And, what does “wasting the Summer” even mean? Here’s how to ask better questions so your kids don’t waste their Summer.

Fight to Find Time With Your Kids While They’re Home: Stop dwelling over time and start prioritizing it. When you start making an intentional effort to find more time with your kids and family, you’ll realize that quality time doesn’t necessarily mean a big family vacation or event. But even a simple trip to the store can turn into a timeless memory.

I was again reminded this week that sometimes, as a dad, I’m trying to help my kids, but my methods are actually doing the opposite. I’m grateful my kids have the guts to tell me when that’s the case. And, I’m grateful God’s grace covers my stupidity!

We can’t force the Holy Spirit to show up bigger in our lives, but we can quench His work. This article is a thought-provoking examination of seven ways we may be doing this.

One of the ways I often exhibit a lack of fruit of the Spirit is through being angry. If you’re like me and want to get rid of anger, check out our Anger Free Dad Digital Course.

Conduct a fruit inspection. Even though we can’t manufacture more fruit of the Spirit, we can see how production is going. Take a moment and read through the list found in Galatians 5. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Where do you see too little fruit in your life? Make that your prayer focus this week. “Dear God, please help me to be more gentle with my boys when correcting them!” Oh wait, was I not supposed to type mine right here? Whoops.

Make it a great week,

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.