It’s always so interesting to get to read one of the devotionals from Manhood Journey and how they speak to men and especially dads. To have the search yesterday bring me to another Manhood Journey devotional was powerful, especially when the words that were on my mind were “no regrets”.
As I consider the reality of the importance of being the dad God created me to be for my wife’s sake, my kids’ sake, and this world’s sake, living life as Jesus purposed to the full, more abundantly, and without regrets comes to mind. God created us for relationships! God created us to be in a relationship with Him, God created us to be in a relationship with our wives, God created us to be in a relationship with our kids, and God created us to be in a relationship with others! So let’s be the dads who choose to live connected lives so that by being connected with God we can allow God’s love, plan, and purpose to flow into us and through us into the lives of our wives, our kids, and our world!
So with my usual search for the word “dad” and scrolling through a couple of pages, today’s devotional is going to be “Becoming A Connected Father” from Manhood Journey!
Scripture from Today’s Devotional:
‘ Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God’s will in thought, purpose, and action), So that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.’
2 Timothy 3:16-17
‘ For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].’
Ephesians 2:10
God’s Word can speak right through whatever we are going through and gets straight to the point! God’s Word never returns void and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting ,and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Let’s be the dads who turn to God’s Word for teaching and training! Let’s be the dads who turn to God’s Word for reproof and conviction of sin so that we can stay in alignment with God’s plan and will as well as help our families do the same! Let’s be the dads who turn to God’s Word to correct us and help us in correcting others in a loving and supporting way! Let’s be the dads who turn to God’s Word for training in how to be righteous and more like God in holy living, in conformity to God’s will in thought, purpose, and action! Let’s be the dads who are so focused on God’s Word and making time to meditate and study it because we know that it will help us to become men of God who are becoming complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work! Let’s be the dads who know and live our lives as God’s handiwork! Let’s be the dads who know and live our lives born again, recreated in Christ Jesus! Let’s be the dads who do good for God’s glory, prepared to accomplish the good works He has predestined beforehand for us to accomplish! Let’s be the dads who trust God rather than our understanding, seeking His will and acknowledging Him, so that He can show us which path to take! Let’s be the dads who as we prepare for this day are looking for God’s direction and prompting to help us live the good life, completing the good works He prepared in advance for us to accomplish!
Today’s devotional has been provided by UNCOMMEN.
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)
This reading plan is a summary of many of the things taught in the full digital course called The Connected Father filled with videos, podcasts and downloadable tips and tools.
Becoming a Connected Father
Manhood Journey is a ministry who helps dads become disciple makers. We do this through various tools: blogs, eBooks, Field Guides, Bible studies, digital courses and live events.
For more information, please visit https://www.manhoodjourney.org/connectedfather.
Takeaways from Today’s Devotionals:
“Day 2: Leadership Strategy 1“
- Leadership Strategy 1: Read Scripture
- Let’s be the dads who make time and take time out of our days to read scripture!
- Let’s be the dads who have our priorities straight with God so that we don’t miss out on what He has planned and purposed for our lives!
- Today’s devotional raises an interesting question as we kick it off:
- Let’s be the dads who know about this and even if we are or were like this choose to guard our hearts and our lives for the glory of God by looking to be the dads our wives and kids need us to be, not wasting all our energy and life on anything that is less important. Remember when I spoke of my priorities and how I had to give myself a checkup because they were out of alignment? Remember when I said my priorities are God, my wife, and my kids and that everything else has to come after them? For this to happen, we can’t use up all of our energy on the things that start at 4 but need to ensure we have the energy and engagement for God, for our wives, and for our kids first!
- It would appear that it has happened to the best of us and today’s devotional shares the following:
- “Sadly, there have been times in my life, when I was that guy. I’d be flying high at work, but then I’d come home, and angrily rebuke my sons and yell at them harshly. I’ve actually had my finger in my boys’ faces, yelling, “We don’t scream at people when we’re angry!” True story. Isn’t that ridiculous?
I’d never treat a colleague like that! Why my own family?”
- “Sadly, there have been times in my life, when I was that guy. I’d be flying high at work, but then I’d come home, and angrily rebuke my sons and yell at them harshly. I’ve actually had my finger in my boys’ faces, yelling, “We don’t scream at people when we’re angry!” True story. Isn’t that ridiculous?
- Let’s be the dads who lead our families well!
- Let’s be the dads who look for leadership tips to help us get better at leading our families!
- Let’s be the dads who look for leadership strategies to help us be the dads our families need us to be!
- Let’s be the dads who are looking to use leadership principles in our homes!
- Let’s be the dads who are looking to avoid being a winner at work but a loser at home!
- Let’s be the dads who research and understand some of the leadership challenges of being the dads:
- “being intentional in our parenting”
- “balance our priorities, manage our time well, and have enough energy “after work” to pour into our families”
- Let’s be the dads who “overcome feelings of failure and feelings like we’re not doing enough“!
- Let’s be the dads who choose to live our lives in ways that we won’t need to be “wrestling with regret over past choices“!
- “control our anger and be more patient“
- “we get to battle outside influences and fight against culture – in particular – the impact of technology“
- “set the right example, and make sure our kids own their faith“
- Let’s be the dads who realize the connections associated with these challenges:
- Let’s be the dads who have our priorities straight: God, wife, kids, and then everything else. That’s right first our relationship with God and then our marriage and then our family.
- Let’s be the dads who are good Christians first
- Let’s be the dads who are great husbands! “The bedrock of your fathering is your husbanding.“
- Let’s be the dads who model the gospel by the way we love our wives and live our marriage life!
- Let’s be the dads who model the gospel just as we read in the Bible:
- Let’s be imitators of God!
- Let’s live our lives in alignment with God’s example of Christ and the church in Ephesians 5!
- ‘Husbands, love your wives [seek the highest good for her and surround her with a caring, unselfish love], just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify the church, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word [of God], so that [in turn] He might present the church to Himself in glorious splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy [set apart for God] and blameless. Even so, husbands should and are morally obligated to love their own wives as [being in a sense] their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own body, but [instead] he nourishes and protects and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church because we are members (parts) of His body. For this reason, a man shall leave his father and his mother and shall be joined [and be faithfully devoted] to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery [of two becoming one] is great, but I am speaking with reference to [the relationship of] Christ and the church. However, each man among you [without exception] is to love his wife as his very own self [with behavior worthy of respect and esteem, always seeking the best for her with an attitude of lovingkindness], and the wife [must see to it] that she respects and delights in her husband [that she notices him and prefers him and treats him with loving concern, treasuring him, honoring him, and holding him dear].’ Ephesians 5:25-33
- Let’s be the dads who then live our lives as great dads!
- Today’s devotional chooses to share 4 specific strategies with us that can help in this area: (check out full details here: The Connected Father: Your Guide To Being A Christian Father (opens in a new tab) (manhoodjourney.org))
- Today’s devotional will give us 1 leadership strategy today and a second tomorrow.
- Today’s devotional provides strategies that will work for all dads.
- Today’s devotional provides dad strategies for those people who are married and those who are not.
- Strategy #1: Read Scripture
- Scripture is important and key because as we saw earlier and the devotional points to now in 2 Timothy 3:16-17: ““All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Tim 3:16-17 (NIV)“
- Today’s devotional speaks to it this way:
- “Do you see that term in there: “servant of God”? Is that how you see yourself? Do you realize, that as a father, you’re a servant of God to your family?“
- “I have no idea how a man can effectively serve his family without regularly investing time in God’s Word. God says His word will not return void. He says that it can discern the thoughts and intentions of our hearts. It is our guide, counselor, shield, shelter.“
- “If you’re trying to be a godly dad and you only crack open your Bible once a week at church… that’s like trying to run a marathon on an empty stomach, and without ever taking a breath.
You’re running out of oxygen. You’re going to faint.“ - “God’s word promises to nourish, feed, and sustain us – it promises to give us energy, insight, wisdom, courage and strength. God’s word is not just a “life manual” for us to learn from – it’s a “heart surgery” in written form.“
- Let’s be the dads who are godly dads!
- Let’s be the dads who are godly dads that spend time regularly in the Bible!
- Let’s be the dads who are staying connected with God!
- Let’s be the dads who are connecting with God daily, praying without ceasing, and building up our relationship with Him and our trust in Him!
- Let’s be the dads who are connecting with God by spending time regularly in His Word!
- Today’s devotional closes with the following challenge:
