APPLY SCRIPTURE
Just last week, my 8 year old son Titus and I were hanging out. It became quiet for a minute, and he asked, “Dad, am I ‘badder’ than Alex?” He was trying to figure out whether he or his oldest brother was harder to parent. I said something along the lines of them both being roughly equal (I was stalling). Then, after a long pause, he chases it with this doozy, “Is being a parent hard sometimes?” I was awestruck. It’s not very often that an eight-year-old – a boy, no less! – has the capacity to see parenting “from the other side”. I told him that yes, parenting was hard sometimes, but that overall, I wouldn’t want to be doing anything other than being his dad in this season. You could see his wheels turning. Then, he concluded with, “Hm. I feel bad for you guys.” LOL! He needed assurance and affirmation. To know he is loved, beyond even the difficulty some days of doing the loving. Psalm 127 says, “…children are a heritage from the Lord…”. It goes on to compare them to arrows we must aim well. That starts with them knowing how much we love them.
LATEST ARTICLE
| 5 Characteristics of a Godly Father: Dads carry a big responsibility because how we lead and interact with our kids is likely how they will (at least at first) understand and experience God the Father. This is also a big opportunity. Being a Christian dad doesn’t always come naturally, but learning to lead as a godly father is an investment worth making. |
NEWEST PODCAST
Romans 12: How Do You Treat Your Enemies? Sometimes, life as a Christ follower can feel like a snow globe. God takes the world’s perspective, turns it upside down, and gives it a shake. That’s the only way we see the real beauty He creates. Nowhere is that more evident than in the way He calls us to treat our enemies. As we near the end of our study of Romans 12, we’ll see God’s unique plan for getting under the skin of those who would do us harm: Simply do what’s right.
GAIN INSIGHT
“Your greatest contribution to the kingdom of God may not be something you do, but someone you raise.”
– Andy Stanley
“The goal of parenting isn’t to create perfect kids. It’s to point our kids to the perfect God.”
– Lindsey Bell
“Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children.”
– Chuck Swindoll
TAKE ACTION
| Affirm and encourage. Maybe your son or daughter is wondering this week. Do my parents love me? Do they think raising me is hard? Are they committed for the long haul? Maybe – in childlike innocence – they’ll let you know what’s on their heart. Or maybe they won’t. Regardless, take a minute this week to encourage, affirm and assure your kids of your deep love for them. Even if they don’t need to hear it this week, at some point, they will. They’ll store it up in their heart for later. |
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.
