The Bible.com (or Bible App from YouVersion) has so many great plans to go through and read. As I continue through the list of dad devotionals using their search capabilities, I have come across today’s devotional which is a 12-day devotional titled 10 Challenges Every Dad Must Conquer. Checking out the publisher’s information and signing up for their newsletters as well as getting to download their survival gear, I am excited to get better connected with them as I believe they have many resources that will be helpful and useful for men who answer the call to step up and step into being the dads God has called and created them to be. Looking into this devotional and trying to better understand the purpose of Manhood Journey, I discovered they are “a ministry who helps dads become disciple-makers. We do this through various tools. Things like blogs, eBooks, Field Guides, Bible studies, digital courses, and live events“. I am so excited to get to go through this devotional with all of you and see where God will take us. I am excited to have gotten to communicate with Kent and to have found their resources as I believe it will be of great help to dads.
The Bible.com site describes this plan as follows:
“Feel overwhelmed—or worse—like a failure? We took your most-pressing challenges and matched them up with battle-proven, busy leaders who also happen to be dads—to give you theologically deep and super-practical help. You CAN be the dad God calls you to be. This plan will help.”
10 Challenges Every Dad Must Conquer
Today’s devotional points us to Ephesians 5:15-17.
‘Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. ‘
Ephesians 5:15-17
It is in interesting times we live today. God’s Word is alive and active and just as relevant today as ever. It’s an incredible warning to the Ephesians and to us about this life we live and this world we live in. We are warned and reminded to be careful and live wisely. For us to be the dads God has created us to be, we can’t be living the wild life and doing what everyone else is doing if we want to experience and receive everything God desires for us and those around us. We need to be the dads who make the most out of every opportunity. We need to be the dads who are careful in how we choose to live our lives and where we choose to go in order for us to be able to make the most out of every opportunity. We need to be the dads who live our life like wise people, seeking God for wisdom and discernment in every situation so that we can make the most out of every opportunity. So let’s be the dads to take time with God, make time for God, and even in the moment turn to God for wisdom and discernment in oder that we can understand God’s will in and through this situation rather than trying to go it alone and being foolish.
Today’s devotional has been provided by Manhood Journey (more details can be found https://www.manhoodjourney.org/fieldguides/)
Reading through today’s devotional, here are some takeaways for me:
(check out the devotional on your own too to see if you pick up other nuggets, and please share your findings in the comments)
For more information, please visit Manhood Journey: https://www.manhoodjourney.org/fieldguides/.
Day 10 You’re overwhelmed and unfocused.
- Oh what a week. So many things have taken place. Feeling overwhelmed and unfocused because of it all.
- How about you dads? Ever had such a week? Ever noticed how God knows hat you are going through before you even get started? Ever noticed how God’s Word is alive and active and able to help us through teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in all righteousness?
- Let’s be the dads who stop and take a breath, long enough to hear from God.
- Let’s be the dads who can see the signs of being or getting overwhelmed.
- Let’s be the dads who can see the signs or being or getting unfocused.
- Today’s devotional starts with “Getting Focused”
- Ever been the dad who “sees tension” rising in the midst of “trying to be intentional”?
- Ever felt like you were were being the dad who was “failing miserably” in your role?
- They provide us with some data from Pew Research Center:
- Do you realize you aren’t alone and that more than half of dads say “it’s difficult to balance work and family”? (56%)
- Do you realize that you aren’t alone in feeling like you don’t spend enough time with your kids? (“81% report feeling rushed resulting in less time with their kids”)
- Today’s devotional points us to today’s scripture shared by the Apostle Paul.
- The attitude of intentionality should drive us in all we do!
- Let’s be the dads who have an intentional attitude at work, at home, and as dads.
- Paul wants us to be walking with eyes wide open, observing our situations and circumstances.
- Paul wants us to be paying ”special attention” and also have ”purposeful thoughts behind the thing we do”.
- Let’s be the dads who put serious thought into how we will spend our time in our day for both work and family time.
- Let’s be the dads who are very intentional when it comes to how we spend the hours of our day between work and family.
- Let’s be the dads who are smart about our time and are being intentional in how we use it. ”Don’t do stupid stuff!”
- Today’s devotional breaks down what it looks like to be intentional in various parts of our lives.
- Let’s choose to be the dads who engage with our kids with a plan and on purpose. Let’s get started and persevere!
- Education
- Let’s be the dads who communicate how important an education is to our kids and how it isn’t something that is optional but rather it is a priority.
- Health
- Let’s be the dads who make the time to go for ”walks, jobs, or runs with your kids.”
- Sports
- Let’s be the dads who use our health time to prepare us for sporting activities.
- Relationships
- Let’s be the dads who plan ahead and make special times and moments for our kids. Daddy date nights for our sons and daughters.
- Church
- Let’s be the dads who are role models and show our kids how important it is to both attend and also serve in the church.
- Education
- Let’s be the dads who care enough to become more focused!
- Let’s be the dads who care enough to become more intentional!
- Let’s be the dads who choose to get stated today!
- Today’s devotional closes with this question:
