“My kid’s 9 years old. He’s half way out of the house.”, one dad recently told me. Sorry, but once your kid reaches age 9, he’s more like 75% out of the house. By age 10ish, he’ll have his own friends and what he’ll call “his own life.” Then there’s the car…job…all that. There’s not a ton of time. How will you make the most of it? Jesus said, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you” (John 15:12-14). Lay down three things. #1 TIME. It’s often easier to work than give your family focused time. Stop the mindless scrolling. Separate from your phone/work however you can. Make time to be physically present. #2 ATTENTION. Focusing on your family requires more than your physical presence. Do what you must to give your wife/kids the attention they deserve. Cut distractions and turn off notifications. When your attention is divided, you’re wife/kids miss out. #3 LIFE. I wonder if someone ever came to Jesus with a question and He said, “Huh? My bad, I wasn’t listening, you mind starting over with that whole leg issue you got there?” No, Jesus gave His life. Period. He lived with interruptions too. Stop blaming tech. Blame yourself. You’re selfish. Laying down your life means dying to yourself. You’re called to obey God rather than yourself. 

HOW DO YOU DISCIPLINE A CHILD WHO WON’T LISTEN? As a parent, you know the feeling. You’ve clearly told your children what they need to be doing, and their actions and attitudes in the moment make it just as clear that they are going to ignore your instructions. If you’ve never wrestled with a kid who refuses to listen, it’s just a matter of time. But you don’t have to be sidelined by a child who won’t listen. You can learn how to train them to make better choices and move in a different direction. Here are five ideas to get you started.

WHY UNDIVIDED ATTENTION CHANGES EVERYTHING: It’s always better to be a giver than a receiver, and the greatest gift guys can give their wives, their kids, their friends, and their co-workers is the gift of time. But truly investing time requires more than our physical presence. We’ve got to give the people closest to us our undivided attention. We’ve got to put the distractions on the shelf and really plug into the words and hearts of those around us. In such a noisy and chaotic culture, that can be easier said than done; but it’s the only way to make and maintain strong connections in the relationships that matter most.

“”Focus on giants – you stumble. Focus on God – Giants tumble.” —Max Lucado.

“The present is the only time in which any duty may be done or grace received.” —C. S. Lewis.

“Nothing done with the focus on God is ever a waste of time.” —Lysa TerKeurst.

“What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like.” —Augustine.

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.