Radical Wisdom: A 7-Day Journey For Fathers – Day 2 – No Regrets

I always find it interesting when themes repeat or even stack on one another. It’s a choice and a decision we need to make, to live with no regrets! Waking up this morning I missed the mark again, regretting not going out last night. Regret not hopping in the vehicle, as tired as I was, and seeing the lights. Be it the stacking experience of Letting your light shine bright for all the world to see and being the dad who lives without regrets. Be it repeating and reinforcing the importance of being the dads who choose to live without regrets and today digging into a devotional on the subject of living with few regrets! I’ve got time off and need to use that time to make the most of my time with my family. I need to make sure I don’t miss out on this time and wake up with regrets or at least with as few regrets as possible.

Scripture from Today’s Devotional:

So we are here, digging into God’s Word as our starting point in order to have the right foundation and starting point for our day. Beginning with the source of truth on which to build our day, our lives, and our families. God’s Word will never return void! God’s Word will help cut through the noise and the distraction and get to the core of the matter!

Let’s be the dads who do not provoke our kids to anger! Let’s be the dads who do not exasperate our kids to the point of resentment with demands that are trivial or unreasonable or humiliating or abusive! Let’s be the dads who do not provoke our kids to anger by showing favoritism or indifference to any of them! Let’s be the dads who bring up our kids tenderly, with lovingkindness in the discipline and instruction of the Lord!

Let’s be the dads who do not provoke or irritate or exasperate our children with demands that are trivial or unreasonable or humiliating or abusive! Let’s be the dads who do not provoke or irritate or exasperate our children by favoritism or indifference and instead choose to treat them tenderly with lovingkindness! Let’s be the dads who do not provoke or irritate or exasperate our children so they will not lose heart and become discouraged or unmotivated with their spirits broken!

Let’s be the dads who are slow to anger have great understanding and profit from their self-control! Let’s be the dads who aren’t quick-tempered exposing and exalting our foolishness for all to see!

Let’s be the dads who endure with patience and serenity! Let’s be the dads who are kind and thoughtful! Let’s be the dads who are not jealous or envious! Let’s be the dads who do not brag! Let’s be the dads who are not proud or arrogant! Let’s be the dads who are not rude! Let’s be the dads who are not self-seeking! Let’s be the dads who are not provoked nor overly sensitive and easily angered! Let’s be the dads who do not take into account a wrong endured! Let’s be the dads who do not rejoice at injustice, but rejoice with the truth when right and truth prevail! Let’s be the dads who bear all things regardless of what comes! Let’s be the dads who believe in all things looking for the best in each one! Let’s be the dads who hope all things and remain steadfast during difficult times! Let’s be the dads who endure all things without weakening!

Today’s devotional has been provided to us by Regi Campbell from Radical Mentoring.

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 Radical Wisdom: A Daily Journey for Leaders (radicalmentoring.com).

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:
“A Father with Few Regrets“

• Ever heard people talk about common sense?
• Ever heard people talk about rational methods?
• Ever wondered why common sense doesn’t seem common anymore?
• Ever wondered why decision-making doesn’t always seem rational anymore?
• Today’s devotional speaks to how businesses used to operate when it says:
  • “There was an era in business when the “rational method” of decision-making ruled. We created formulas and shot for the highest probability of success and the lowest of failure. We played the odds that if we did certain things, we’d win most of the time.“
• Let’s be the dads who aren’t playing the odds with our kids but instead are using God’s Word to help us be the dads God planned, purposed, and prepared for us to be!
• Let’s be the dads who are raising our kids with “the lowest coefficient of regret for ourselves” by doing our best to raise them in the knowledge and wisdom of God!
• Let’s be the dads who realize that “No matter what we do, we can’t guarantee they’ll turn out to be wonderful, Jesus-following adults“!
• Let’s be the dads who make choices that won’t cause us to have regrets later on!
• Let’s be the dads “who didn’t control their tongues and tempers” so that we don’t leave being kids “with scars“!
• Let’s be the dads who study and meditate on God’s Word so that we can live our lives in accordance with the scripture like “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”
• Let’s be the dads who control our tongue and “shut up“!
• Let’s be the dads who “shut up” so as to “control our criticism and anger“!
• Let’s be the dads who take a breath so that we can realize what’s going on before it’s too late and we are faced with regret!
• Today’s devotional looks to prepare and help us when it says:
  • “We longed to hear words of praise and affirmation from our Dads, but many of us never did. It’s amazing how pride paralyzes us. We’ll ride mechanical bulls, motorcycles, and wakeboards, but we won’t push through our fears of sounding weird or soft by telling our sons and daughters how special they are and how much we love them.“
• Today’s devotional closes with the following thought to consider and challenge us:
  • “Are you all-in for your kids? Are you fathering so you’ll have the least coefficient of regret down the road?“
  • “Question: Will you ask God to show you the biggest thing you’ll regret as a father years from now? Then ask Him to give you the courage to tackle it?“