It's Not A Checklist

My wife is the queen of lists. This is not surprising in a house with seven kids. There is packing, chore, grocery, and to do lists. Let's not forget the dreaded honey-do list. This one is never completed and always growing. They have become a necessary form of organization in our home.

Sometimes, as dads, we look at our role as a checklist of tasks. These tasks may include being a good husband, child disciplinarian, and financial provider. We might pay the bills, cut the grass, and make home repairs. We tell ourselves as long as we keep checking these items off we are okay. We are also similar in our approach to Christianity. We go to church, check. We read our Bible, check. We pray, check.

This is great behavior and is all things we need to fulfill, but we are called to be so much more. If our tunnel vision focuses only on the task at hand then we miss out on so much. A true, God honoring father is a dynamic individual. He is about the required tasks, but he is also about the relationships. He is in tune with the emotional concerns of his wife and children. He knows he cannot let them fail, because he is the leader. His family needs to know that he would die before letting Satan in the home. I admit that while I may accomplish some of the tasks, I still have a lot of growing to do in this area.

The big question is, where do we start? Cleary we can't change the past. We only have today forward. It starts with commitment and foundation.  First we need to realize the need for us to improve is necessary. Not one of us has "arrived". Not until we are like Christ and that is not happening on this earth. A dad needs a humble spirit. It is only then when we are most easily molded into what we need to be. We have to know it is only through His power that we will ever be the spiritual leader needed by our family. We have to exercise obedience to God and remove the sin from our life that has stunted our growth. A great father also is a consistent man. He is willing to work hard and honor God day after day. This is when it gets hard. It is difficult to stay the course over time. I know dads who provided strong foundations for their kids for a long period of time, only to let their guard down in the tough teen years.  It is difficult, but it is what is needed.

One thing we need to be mindful of is the days are continuing to get more evil. The world has changed so much even since the time when I was a child. The dangers of the world have instant access to our children through technology. Now more than ever us men need to dig in and take a stand. We can't afford to waste another day on the sideline.