Leading the Way
Leading the Way
They will not hunger or thirst, the scorching heat or sun will not strike them; for their compassionate One will guide them, and lead them to springs of water. (Isa. 49:10)
Deception Is Subtle
Try as we might to prevent it, we are constantly exposed to influences and pressures that challenge what we know from Scripture. This is especially true for our kids. “Come on, just once. Nobody will ever know,” whispers the father of lies (see John 8:44). Our challenge as fathers is to help our kids recognize Satan as the source of these deceptions and to help them choose truth over the false promises of whatever he’s using to influence them toward bad choices.
Actions Speak Louder
The amount and quality of time we spend with our kids is critically important, but our kids spend more waking time away from us than they do with us. So we need to make the truth of God’s Word an audible, visible, relatable part of their everyday life, not just on Sundays or family nights. Some ways to do that include: (1) making church attendance and involvement a priority, (2) modeling how to have a daily quiet time, (3) praying with your kids regularly, and (4) intentionally making time to talk with them, asking hard, uncomfortable questions when necessary.
We certainly can’t lead the way for our kids if we don’t know it ourselves. Only when we seek God’s truth for our own lives can we lead our children to that same source of truth—an intimate relationship with God and His Word.
Bottom Line
It’s not enough to set rules and curfews; we must teach and model how to apply God’s truth to all of life’s struggles and temptations.