Most dads tell us they’re unsure where to start. They don’t feel equipped to lead spiritually. The truth is that none of us is fit to lead on our own. We need God and His Word.

#1 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might (Deuteronomy 6:5). Biblical love is not emotion or feeling; it’s more like an obligation. To love God with all your heart means engaging your whole person, your strength, with full intensity.

It’s not about how much you can bench press or squat at the gym. God is not asking for a side hustle for your evenings and weekends. He demands full-time devotion. Your family doesn’t need flawless performance—you can’t give that anyway. They need to see a consistent commitment to God every day.

#2 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart (Deuteronomy 6:6). Before truth shapes your children, it needs to shape you. The heart is the center of thought and reflection. God’s commands weren’t meant to just be rules, but a way of life. Godly leadership starts with following God every single morning. When His Word is on your heart, it changes your tone and your priorities.

#3 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise (Deuteronomy 6:7). You shall teach them diligently is like sharpening a blade against stone. Repeated, intentional action shapes things. Your kids aren’t spiritually neutral; they will be formed, for good or ill. You’re commanded to imprint truth through everyday conversations—at home, on the commute, at bedtime, at breakfast.

Formation cannot be outsourced. Like a craftsman carving a precious stone, your influence shapes future thoughts and habits. It’s not easy work, but it’s essential enough to shift your schedule, your home, and your life.

When Fatherhood Feels Heavy (But You Can’t Say Why): You’re still providing, still protecting, but lately, the joy feels thin, and the weight feels heavier than it should. What if that feeling isn’t weakness, but an invitation to course-correct before you drift?

What If I Think It’s Too Late? – Overwhelmed To Intentional (Part 5): You can’t rewrite yesterday, but you don’t have to let it define tomorrow. If you’re feeling stuck, ashamed, or afraid it’s too late to rebuild, this episode will help you trade hopelessness for steady, redemptive action.

C. H. Spurgeon: “A man’s life is always more forcible than his speech. When men take stock of him they reckon his deeds as dollars and his words as pennies. If his life and doctrine disagree, the mass of onlookers accept his practice and reject his preaching.”

Start with your own heart. Read the Bible so it’s on your mind daily—so it shapes what you say, how you think, and why you do what you do. Speak truth at the table, on the way home from school, before saying “goodnight.”

Don’t wait for a perfect time—there isn’t one. Your repeated teaching will guide your children FOREVER. You’re called to live out your faith in front of your family every day. That’s the job. You’ve got this.

Pray this today: “God, help me have an undivided heart. Help me love You fully and lead my family well. Amen.”

Kent Evans
Author of Don’t Bench Yourself, 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.