Proverbs says a lot about what we should do, and perhaps even more about what we should avoid. And, by avoid, it means, avoid by a far distance. Speaking specifically of the forbidden woman, Proverbs 5:8 warns, “Keep your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house.”. FAR from, don’t go NEAR. Dad, are you teaching this to your sons and daughters? Are you helping them see that danger—be it friends, music, movies, places—should be avoided by staying FAR from it? I used to ask my oldest son—who loved to push the boundaries—this question, “If there were a fire right here, how could you be sure it wouldn’t burn you?” He’d instinctively respond, “By getting as far away from it as possible.” Exactly.

When it comes to how to love your family, it’s common for men to struggle with connecting well. You get busy with work and often, over time, start to neglect your wife and kids. How do you stop the drift of busyness and continue focusing on the most important relationships—the ones in your home—with your wife and kids? Here are 10 ideas for focusing on how to love your family more than ever.

1. “People fall in private, long before they fall in public.” — J. C. Ryle (hey dad, if you’re raising sons and haven’t read J.C. Ryle’s SUPER SHORT Thoughts for Young Men, get it now, it’s excellent!)

2. “Faith that pleases God keeps walking even when the walking doesn’t seem to be working.” — Kyle Idleman

3. “The choices that you make with your family today will determine the quality of life in your family tree for generations to come.” – Steve Farrar, Point Man

Cliff or fire. If you’d like to have a meaningful, memorable chat with your kids about avoiding sin, consider finding one of these two physical environments: (a) a ledge (edge of your roof, a cliff at a nearby park); or, (b) a fire (fireplace, firepit). Now, part of the point – don’t get close enough to the edge that you’ll fall! And, don’t get so near the fire as to be burned! As you stand (a safe distance away!) from these dangers, ask your child, “If you didn’t want to fall off that cliff (get burned by that fire), which direction would you walk?” It’ll create a lasting mental image that God can use later when the temptation is far more alluring than a rocky hill or warm fire pit.

Make it a great week,

Kent Evans
Author of the 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.