Dad, are you feeling stale, drained, or like you need a fresh breath of life? You know we go through our lives at times as though auto-pilot has been engaged. We come home, hug the wife, smile at the kids, eat dinner, piddle in the garage or outside, come in and put the kids to bed and then we head to bed as well. All of this only to wake up and head back off to work to return and do it all again. After doing this over and over, you a fresh breath of life! We need to be paying more attention to our family and making the most of the time that we have with them. Check out how to get a
Fresh Breath of Life!
Fresh Breath of Life
Ephesians 5:15-16
15 Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk — not as unwise people but as wise — 16 making the most of the time, because the days are evil.
Dads, we need to disconnect our auto-pilot and become more engaged in our family life. It states that we should be a wise person or wise people. If we study God’s word, it will lead our families life away from some worldly dangers. Such as :
Disrespect for each other
In the 139 psalm, David ask God to search him to know his heart, test him to know his concerns, and to see if there is any offensive way in him. In the same psalm he talks of hating those who rebel against God. In the same way we talk about those who do not see things our way or have the same thoughts that we do. We show disrespect for each other in our family and in our work environment.
Selfishness in our actions
Mark 10:43-45
43 But it must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first among you must be a slave to all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life — a ransom for many.
Are you selfish in your action and try to be first in all that you do? Do you act selfish with you tools when the kids want to use them? Do you act selfish with your time when the kids want to be with you? It is written in verse 43 that we be a servant to be great. This also goes for our family life dad. You can live your life as a selfish dictator or we can be a humble servant that works together with our family.
Pride within our Motives
Proverbs 11:2
2 When pride comes, disgrace follows,
but with humility comes wisdom.
Pride. A 5 letter word that can destroy a man so very quickly. Men are a stubborn and prideful lot that would rather die than admit to not knowing something. This can happen in our family as well. Are you a prideful father about your job, your family, or what you have? You know the type I am talking about. The dad that shows up bragging about his car or his kids being the star on the team every Saturday. However the second part of the verse is the key! Humility is a trait that is lived, not purchased. Yet with humility comes wisdom and that is how we should be walking, “not as unwise people but as wise”. We should be leading our families into a stronger relationship.
But you may be asking, “How does God’s wisdom lead our families into a stronger relationship?” Where does that fresh breath of life come from? Well it should start with the dad first.
Ephesians 6:4
4 Fathers, dont stir up anger in your children, but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
Dad, do you stir up anger in your children? Do you pick at them, aggravate them, make them the punchline of jokes, or make fun of them? Everyone likes a good joke. However, no one likes being the reason of a joke, especially a young child. Are you lashing out at your kids and making them hate even knowing that you are coming home? Kids are so impressionable while they are young and developing their self-worth. You dad are playing a very key and important role in that development! Are you bringing them up full of bitterness and spite or in the training and instruction of the Lord? We must realize that it is our responsibility to train and maintain the teachings of our kids.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7
6 These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. 7 Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
Do you talk to your kids about God? Are you instructing them in God’s word and what it means? Are you letting your pride get between your ability to teach your child God’s word?
Once the dad has an understanding of building a stronger relationship it then focuses on the kids.
Ephesians 6:1-3
1 Children, obey your parents as you would the Lord, because this is right. 2 Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise, 3 so that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life in the land.
Many of us have heard these verses and changed them into the phrase of “I brought you in this world and I will take you out!”. But look closer at the verses, it has two parts. The first is a command and the second is a blessing. It is like an if then statement. If you obey and honor (the command) then you may have a long life in the land (blessing). However, if we are string up anger and bitterness in our kids heart and not bring them up in the instruction of the Lord, we are allowing our kids to fail. It goes back to the fathers role in the kids life and if the father is leading, protecting and nurturing his family. But when we, as the dad, seek God’s wisdom in our families it ensures a stronger relationship with our family.
Dad, when we learn, pass along and speak of God’s wisdom in our families it leaves our families with future stability and a fresh breath of life that is needed by all. There will be divine protection :
Isaiah 54:17
No weapon formed against you will succeed,
and you will refute any accusation
raised against you in court.
This is the heritage of the Lords servants,
and their righteousness is from Me.
This is the Lords declaration.
There will be a united purpose :
Philippians 2:1-3
1 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
And lastly there will be a trusted guidance
Proverbs 2:6-9
6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 He stores up success for the upright;
He is a shield for those who live with integrity
8 so that He may guard the paths of justice
and protect the way of His loyal followers.
9 Then you will understand righteousness, justice,
and integrity — every good path.