Father's Day is just around the corner. This year's holiday is extra special because not only is it Father's Day, but on that day 12 years ago, I married my best friend in the whole world. Since that day God had really carried us on a magnificent journey. That journey that began in June 2001 has lead us now to June 2013. As I reflect back on where all God has lead us to get to this point, I can't help but be extremely thankful. He has blessed us with wonderful jobs, a roof over our heads, two beautiful little girls and so much more.
I never thought that I could love anyone more than I do Mollie, Kaylin and Makenzie. This past week leading up to Father's Day I have heard many teachings and read many blogs regarding the responsibilities of men to their families. All of them have caused me to stop and ask myself what I want for my family. What do I want my family to be? What kind of women do I want Kaylin and Makenzie to grow up to be? Am I helping Mollie to be the mother and wife that God has called her to be? To be quite honest, I find it all to be a bit overwhelming.
God had called me to be the spiritual head of the family. In today's culture, that isn't the status quo. Our society teaches that men and women are equal. In a way, they are but they are different too. That is they way God designed it, but have you ever noticed how our differences complement each other. Men and women are uniquely different and our differences do indeed complement each other. That is why God defines marriage to be between one man and one woman. It works best that way. God knows what He is doing. Trust me. One of our differences is that God has ordained man to be the head of the family. It is his job and is not to be shared with his wife.
So what does it mean to be the head of the family? It means that it is my job to guide and direct my family. Among many things, it means that I am to be a helper to my wife and a leader of my children. Most importantly, it means that I am to be the spiritual leader of my family. It is my responsibility to point my family to Jesus. It is my responsibility to see to it that what my family does as a whole is honors God. It is my responsibility to teach my girls scripture. It is my responsibility to encourage, instruct and guide my family in the ways of the Lord our God. That is a HUGE responsibility and, quite frankly, one that scares me to death. I am thankful though, that I don't have to go at it alone. I serve a God that has promised me that He will never leave me nor forsake me. He is always there and if I will seek His help, I know that He is faithful to do just that.
I think that it is extremely vital that all leaders have a plan. They have to know where you are going. Once they know where they want to go, they have to have a road map to get there. Without this vision, you will just wonder around. The same to applies to leading a family. So as we approach Father's Day 2013, I asked myself what I want for my family?
First and foremost, I want Mollie, Kaylin and Makenzie to love God with all of their hearts, souls, minds and strengths. I want them to trust God in all areas of their lives. I want them to have an unbridled desire for Him and His word. I want them to have strong prayer lives. I want them to serve Him in all areas of their lives. I want them to place Him first and everything else second. I want them to be able to unashamedly and boldly proclaim the Gospel to anyone and everyone regardless. It is my prayer for them that God would do these things in their lives. That He would empower them through the power of the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit to do these things. That He would protect them and keep them close to Him at all times.
On a physical level, I want both Kaylin and Makenzie to treat others not just like they want to be treated, but better than they want to be treated. I want them to work hard in everything that they do. I want them to put others' needs ahead of their own. I want them to be successful in school and get good and Godly educations. I want them to be successful at whatever their calling may be. My hope is that they will each some day find a man to be their husband who loves God with all his heart, soul, mind and strength that will love them and cherish them. I pray that they will love him and be the kind of wives that God had called them to be. I hope they have as many children as they feel God wants them to have and that they will be at least half of the type of mother that their mom was to them. Despite all of this, I want them to always feel as if they need their daddy. I know that sounds cliche. What I mean is that I want them to always have a need deep down for their dad. Let me put it this way, I want Kaylin and Makenzie to always feel they can come to me about anything at any time. I don't want them to be afraid of me. If they have a struggle, I want to be the one they come to. If they are scared, I want to be their refuge. I want them to respect me and put me on a pedestal. I want them to trust me. I want them to have the same type of relationship with me that they do with God and vice versa.
Well, what about Mollie? I want Mollie to be a loving wife and mother. I want her to keep being Mollie. She is exactly who I want her to be. I guess my biggest hope is that I will be the husband she needs. I want to make sure that I am loving, encouraging, supportive. I want to make sure that I am meeting her needs. I want to make sure I am pointing her to Jesus. I want to make sure that I am loving her just as Christ loves the church. I know that if I do this, then she will have no problem loving me and following my lead. If I love her like God has called to love her, it will make it easier for her to be the woman, wife and mother that God has called her to be. I don't want to be a stumbling block for her.
So there you have it. That, in a nutshell, is what I want for my family. I realize that I have a HUGE responsibility. Lord, help me to be the husband, father and man you have called me to be. Help me to lead my family in a way that is holy and pleasing to you. Help me to love like you love. Help me to be forgiving as you are forgiving. Help me to model for my family what I expect from them. I know that with you all things are possible. Help me to NEVER forget that no matter how hard things may get. Help me to lean on you. Thank you for giving me this responsibility and forgive me when I blow it. I ask this in the name of Jesus, the name above all names. -AMEN
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