You do you. Follow your dreams. Carpe diem. You can be whatever you set your mind to be. Man, the volume of self-centered, unwise and prideful messages this world throws at our kids is endless. And, the tricky part, within these messages, there’s a hint of truth. You do you (God has made you unique, He has numbered the very hairs on your head). Carpe diem (we should be industrious, we need to make the most of our time). Follow your dreams (don’t give up when things get hard). However, contrast those me-first concepts with this one. Jesus said, He did not come to, “…do my own will but the will of him who sent me.” (John 6:38) The one figure across all humanity who had the most important job to do of all time wasn’t working from his own selfish agenda. He was simply God’s instrument. He even compared doing God’s will to actual food for his body (John 4:34). Let’s not focus on telling our kids to reach for the stars. Instead, tell them to listen for direction from the one who made them.

Pray without ceasing: 7 Bible verses on praying often: Prayer, put simply, is a conversation with God. But it is also so much more than that. It is a lifeline for our souls. A connection to the very One Who breathed life into us. If we want to know Who God is and the secrets to life that only He has, we must learn to pray without ceasing.

The Godly dad learns to serve others: As a dad, you may often ask: how do I serve others? You may see your “service” to others as a duty. The truth is, serving others can be much more meaningful than just something we’re required to do. Let’s talk about how we can make serving others a key piece of our relational puzzle, from our wives and children to a friend in need.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” – Proverbs 3:5-6

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.” – Psalm 32:8

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” – John 15:4-5

Do Some Goal-Searching. What might happen if you ask God to remove your will from your life’s equation? Ask Him where you have inserted more of your choice instead of His direction. See if you’ve chased a path that wasn’t exactly where He wanted you to go. It’s like soul-searching, but we’ll call it goal-searching. Instead of going to Nineveh, you went to Tarshish? See if God will show you a new path (or remind you of an old one).

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.