“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” (Isaiah 26:3) Stayed on. The word means to lean on, grab hold of or to be nourished by. It described the laying on of hands (priests, kings); nourishment from God; and even was used to describe how Samson “grasped” the pillars when he brought down the house (Judges 16). It’s no casual or accidental thing. It’s intentional, directed, even forceful. Is your mind stayed on God in this way? Perhaps that’s why you’re wrestling to find peace?

I get lots of questions from dads about discipling kids. Often, I’ll get a string of similar questions in my inbox, which causes me to stop, scratch my head, and wonder how many more dads are struggling in a similar way, and not emailing me about their struggle. Most of the questions in my inbox lately have been from dad wanting to disciple their kids, but also feeling the stress and urgency of not having much time left before their kids leave the house. I tried to help these dads by pointing out 4 tips to discipling kids before they leave your house.

1. Author Rick Johnson found forgiveness for his own father by acknowledging that he’d done the best he could. Of his dad, he said, “I’ve come to believe that he had no malicious intent in his fathering, merely ignorance tinged with apathy and possibly a pinch of panic.” Could describe us all! I recommend his book Better Dads, Stronger Sons.

2. Most Mondays, I dial into a 15-minute phone Bible study led by a friend of mine. This week, a guy on it said we should have a farmer’s mindset. “We can’t control the harvest, we can only be faithful to the process.” Great wisdom for dads!

3. “We should never forget that redemption – the world’s greatest blessing – is the fruit of the world’s greatest sorrow.” – J.R. Miller

Consider HIS Kingdom. There are more than 160 references to “kingdom” in the New Testament. Consider what kind of kingdom you’re building as a dad. Are you building according to the plan for HIS kingdom? Your own? Reflect on how HIS kingdom is different from ours. Seek to build using HIS methods, measures, and motives.

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? Let me know what you think. Tell Ryan 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.