It's More Than Just What You Know

"You may as well quit reading and hearing the Word of God, and give it to the devil, if you do not desire to live according to it." ~ Martin Luther ~

So close!

I was so pulling for Phil Mickleson this weekend! He almost pulled it off which would have been an amazing story if he won. It was so nice to hear all of the commentary this week of how he put his family first and his priorities as a father in how he makes his decisions. While this speaks nothing of his faith in Christ I believe it is still a nice example of a man making his children a priority.

Remember parents, Ephesians 6:4 says that we are not only avoid provoking our children to anger by the things we do but also by the things we don't do as well. We cannot forget the last part of that verse. We must then bring them up in the training and instruction of The Lord. We must be teaching them the ways of The Lord by teaching them the Scriptures and teaching them about God.

As a recently read in a book called "A Parent Privilege" by Steve Wright, "Eternity is a priority as a Christian parent." It goes on to say, "No GPA, no scholastic accolade, no prestigious university, no desire to grow up to make a name for themselves, no athletic accomplishment, no promise of a high-paying career, no Broadway show standing ovation will grant peace, hope, or salvation. Daily pointing our children to eternity should be our great desire because Christ is their and our only hope."

You can find the book here.

How to Provoke Your Child to Anger

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:4)

I've been spending some time this week studying what it means to provoke your child to anger as fathers are instructed NOT to do in Ephesians 6:4. While the practical list of things that I have come up with has grown to over 30 items, one has really caught my attention and that is summed up in one word. Preoccupation. Below is an excerpt from an article by Don Currin. I have a hard copy of the article but the link seems to be expired so I cannot attach the full article.

In Hosea 4:6, the prophet gives a solemn warning to those who forgot the law of their God through their own sinful preoccupation. God said that he would forget their children as a judgement for their wicked involvement.

While many believing dads today may not be involved in the sinful practices of Hosea's day, they may be so absorbed in their own agendas to the neglect of their kids. The story was told of how G. Campbell Morgan was approached by a distressed father who inquired as to how to regain the respect of his small boy. Can you imagine the man's surprise when the intellectual preacher asked, "have you ever tried a game of marbles?"

If we expect to have the utmost influence upon our children we must never prioritize our selfish desires and temporal interests over their needs. The dad who pursues his own carnal ambitions to the exclusion of quality interaction with his child may find it difficult to persuade that child to heed his counsel later in life.

I was so impressed by the decision that professional golfer, Phil Mickleson, made this week to forgo his preparation for one of the biggest golf tournaments of the year, The U.S. Open,  to attend his daughters 8th grade graduation in San Diego. He attended the graduation on Wednesday and then flew all night to Philadelphia arriving hours before his 7:11am tee time. I don't know much about the faith of Phil Mickelson but this is an example of a dad who is willing to do whatever it takes to make sure his family knows what is truly important to him. You can read more of this story here. 

I am amazed at how fast it seems that my own girls are growing up. My oldest just finished her freshman year of high school but I can remember the day she was born like it was yesterday. I am reminded to make the best use of the time while I still can. While many of us struggle with saying "no" to things that seem important, we must always remember that when we say "yes" to something that unnecessarily takes us away from our responsibilities as a dad we are in fact saying "no" to the people who matter most. The more time we spend with them when they are young and the more "deposits" we make into the bank account of their heart, we lessen the chance that we will make the mistake of provoking them to anger which could lead to bitterness and resentment. We then can have a greater influence on them as they grow into adulthood.

Divine Design

This morning on John MacArthur's podcast I heard that he is giving away his book called Divine Design for free to anyone who is a father. 

From GTY.org:

"Divine Design offers a Bible-based comparison of pop culture’s ideas about manhood and womanhood with God's timeless design. Discover the beauty, balance, and benefits of your unique role in the church and the home in this practical, well-researched tool."

All you have to do is send an email to letters@gty.org asking for the book and they will send it to you. Don't forget to let them know that you are a dad and leave your address. 

If you know anyone who is a dad feel free to pass this on. There is a link to the book below.

http://www.gty.org/products/books/452004