Have you or your kids ever walked through a tough time? As you did, were you looking for a larger perspective or were you mired in the moment? One of my sons was gifted a car. Sounds amazing, right? Well. Within hours of getting it, he found it needed $3,000 in repairs. Not having the cash, he paid $600+ for the basic fixes. He left the shop thinking he still got a decent deal for a car, right? Well, that same day, he was involved in a hit-and-run accident. The gift that kept on giving, huh? Is this life?! We have to make sense of the good/bad things that happen. How do you make sense of life’s ups and downs? Try keeping this in mind when things don’t make sense. RECOGNIZE the right perspective. You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you (Isaiah 26:3). The guy with perfect peace keeps a mind that’s stayed on God. He depends/rests on God rather than what the world relies on. When you depend on God, you gain a peace that passes understanding. No, you can’t avoid problems in this life, but you can recognize the right perspective. If you’re a ball of tension/frustration/stress right now, maybe your mind isn’t in the right place. You can find peace in God, even when your situation doesn’t seem to make sense.

DISCIPLESHIP IN THE BIBLE: Discipleship is one of those words that gets thrown around a lot in Christian circles. But we don’t always know what it means. Thankfully, God has given us plenty of instructions for discipleship in the Bible—both for ourselves and for encouraging others. Discovering the keys to biblical discipleship can make you a stronger man and a stronger dad.

HOW TO STAY GROUNDED THROUGH THE STORMS: Sometimes in life, storms can strike with little or no warning. Hard times knock us down and keep us off balance like waves in the ocean. The best we can do is fight to keep our heads above water. That’s when we need to remember that there’s always more to the story. In the middle of our pain and frustration, we can rest assured that God is at work, crafting a bigger narrative for our good and His glory. It may be hard to see in the moment, but it’s going to be a beautiful sight on the other side of the stress.

“The Christian’s motto should not be ‘Let go and let God’ but ‘Trust God and get going.” —J. I. Packer

Zoom out. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe…(Heb. 12:28). The kingdom of God cannot be shaken—it does not, has not, and will not fail. Live with the mindset that’s in awe of God’s work around you. Be thankful and worship Him. Be the dad who’s always looking for God in the situation. Point your wife/kids to God through your experiences. Seek Him and when the time comes, you can tell your kids an amazing story—giving Him the glory. That’s your job.