I want my home to be a place of security and safety for my family. What this means is that I – personally – need to be a safe person. I need to be self-controlled (not like two days ago, when I was harsh with my two younger boys as they squabbled, again), loving, patient and gentle (not like last night, when I intervened in a conversation between my wife and older son). I am frequently unkind in how I resolve conflict, and I often add more tension to the mix. I don’t always exhibit the fruit of the Spirit, and like the apostle Paul shared in Romans 7, I can way-too-often do the thing I don’t want to do, and not do the thing I do want to do. Dad – we’ve gotta be honest with ourselves and our family. If we want our children to feel that God is for them, that He loves them unconditionally, and that nothing they can do will separate them from the love of Christ, then, we need to create homes of security and safety. That starts with US being safe and secure people.

How to give thanks in all circumstances: The Bible calls on Christ followers to do a lot of things that don’t always make sense. Near the top of that list is to “give thanks in every circumstance” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). A lot of times, we don’t even know what that means, much less how to put it into practice. Thankfully, God offers some help through His Word.

Pat Combs: Making sports a positive experience: Sports can be a blessing and a curse for parents. On one hand, the lessons on the field can instill important character qualities like teamwork, self-discipline, and hard work. On the other hand, sports can become an obsession that sucks both time and money from your family and their values. The trick, though, is maintaining balance and making sure your child develops a solid grasp on life beyond the scoreboard. In this episode, former major leaguer and Olympian Pat Combs offers some valuable advice for navigating your kids through the landmines of travel teams and trophies, while also setting their feet firmly on a course that nurture’s godly character above all else.

“Nothing can bring a real sense of security into the home except true love.” – Billy Graham

“Peace is not absence of conflict, it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means.” – Ronald Reagan

“It isn’t enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn’t enough to believe in it. One must work at it.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

Are you safe? Ask yourself that question. Are you approachable, self-controlled and peaceful? If not, what steps could you take to change this? Maybe it’s just a conversation over dinner with your family that starts with something like, “Hey everyone – I want to be a more safe person for you to deal with. How could I make that happen? What could I do differently?” I bet you’ll find that your family wants the same thing, and they’ll help you get there.

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.