Think you have plenty of time to raise your child? Sorry, you don’t. If we’re going to be godly dads, it’s time we identify and destroy the procrastination obstacle.
Maybe the procrastination obstacle doesn’t sound like you. How about one of the other obstacles?
- The Ignorance Obstacle > “I didn’t know it was my job.”
- The Inertia Obstacle > “I don’t know where to start.”
- The Delegation Obstacle > “I’ll let someone else do it.”
- The Guilt Obstacle > “Who am I to talk?”
- The Procrastination Obstacle > “I’ve got plenty of time.”
- The Despair Obstacle > “My kid’s too far gone.”
In this post, we’ll talk about The Procrastination Obstacle—how it sounds, how it interferes, how to remove it and how Scripture can help us overcome it.
How the Obstacle Sounds
The Procrastination Obstacle sounds like this: “I’ve got plenty of time.”
How the Obstacle Interferes
If you have older children, you know the dangers of procrastinating. Yo ur child was born one day, then he’s grown the next. I don’t have to tell you how fast time flies.
If you’re a father of young children, maybe you haven’t notice yet. But, it’s almost impossible to convey how little time you really have. My oldest child is 10 years old. I still feel crushed knowing I may have her in our house fewer years than I’ve already had.
Kent points out in the Identify and Destroy eBook how once your child is around 10 years of age—we actually have WAY LESS time than we think. Thanks, Kent The Downer! : ) Sadly, like usual, Kent’s right.
Think about it: Every statistic we see about childhood development and spiritual direction confirms most children have their direction set by the time they hit their teen years. Factor in sports, music, dance, birthday parties, church activities, school functions and other various weekly events, it’s a miracle if you see your child about five times between the ages of 10 and 18! Basically, if you have a ten-year-old child and think you have eight more years with him in the house, think again. You have about three.
So what? Well, it’s time to stop putting off talking with your child. Begin talking now about all things related to biblical manhood. Everything should be fair game. Talk about prayer, dating, owning your faith, the importance of deodorant. Identify areas of conversation where you may be procrastinating and destroy them. We’re here if you need us. Remember, no one else has the God-ordained responsibility of raising your children.
Can you see how the procrastination obstacle interferes with being a godly dad? Let’s look at how to remove it.
How to Remove The Obstacle
1) Create margin: My busy calendar is my enemy. I need margin daily so I’m free to help check homework, plan the next day or be available to talk. How do you get free time? You schedule it. On your calendar, create meetings with yourself and each child and stick to them. Sure, you’ll need to restructure some things. That’s fine, restructure away! You’ll get better at it over time.
2) Ride along: Author Steve Farrar talks about “quantity” time trumping “quality” time. I couldn’t agree more. You don’t get quality without quantity. Take your kids on boring errands to create connecting opportunities. It’s easy to grab one of the kids and have them come along with me for errands. They often jump at the chance, until they realize we’re not going for ice cream and they’re trapped at the oil change place for an hour with me without their phone. Whoops! But seriously, this time can prove invaluable for unhurried one-on-one time.
3) Be alert: Someone wise once said, “You won’t need to create teachable moments–just keep your eyes open–they’ll appear.” As long as we’re alert and ready, we’ll have moments where we can connect and teach with our words and actions.
How Scripture Helps Us Overcome the Procrastination Obstacle
“Therefore it is said: ‘Get up, sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’ Pay careful, then, how you live—not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil.” —Ephesians 5:14-16
“And let watch out for one another to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each another—and all the more as you see the day approaching.” —Hebrews 10:24-25
Now that we know how The Procrastination Obstacle sounds, how it interferes, how to remove it and how Scripture helps, we can start building the next generation of godly men. We have one more obstacle to unpack, so join us by grabbing your free eBook Identify and Destroy. Let’s walk this journey together.
