Obsession with believing that you can succeed alone becomes a preoccupation with measuring your moral strength, but never actually puts it into practice. Those who trust God find that the Spirit of God lives in them. Focusing solely on oneself leads to a dead end, but turning to God brings freedom and spacious life. Remember, focusing only on oneself distracts from God. Self-absorption can lead to a severe lack of awareness and understanding of God’s actions and His divine plan.
Keep from having an obsession with self-sufficiency that messes up your real priorities
As we kick off today, let’s consider where we are putting our time, energy, and focus. Consider the impact of obsessing about powering through it on our own on not only our lives but the lives of the people around us that we love. Let’s make sure we set our priorities straight and then decide to walk out our lives in alignment with them.
Don’t let obsession distract you from your real priorities
As fathers, we should prioritize building and regularly maintaining our relationship with God. The Bible advises us to pray constantly, and we should strive to remain connected to Him in every moment of our lives. Instead of compartmentalizing our lives, let us invite Jesus into every area of our lives. We should begin and end our days with God, expressing gratitude and praise, and allowing ourselves to be guided by the Holy Spirit throughout the day.
How do you prioritize?
Put God as your top priority
To be good fathers, we must prioritize our wives and our marriage. By keeping God at the center of our lives and drawing closer to Him, we will draw closer to each other. We need to nurture our relationship with our wives so that on top of the strong foundation of faith, our families have a strong foundation of love and parenting. Let us strive to love our wives as sacrificially as Jesus loved the church and gave himself for her.
Make your wife priority #2
As a husband, you should love your wife as much as Christ loved the church. He sacrificed himself to make her clean and holy, washed clean by God’s word. He did this to present her to himself as a beautiful church without any blemishes. In the same way, husbands should love their wives as they love their own bodies. When a man loves his wife, he is showing love to himself. Just like how Christ cares for the church, no one hates their own body but instead feeds and takes care of it. We are all members of Christ’s body. As the scriptures say, “A man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one.” This may be a mystery, but it shows how Christ and the church are united as one. So, each man must love his wife just as he loves himself.
Make your kid(s) priority #3
Be the dads who put our kids next. Make sure we are clear and living up to our priorities of God, wife, kids, and everything will come after that so that God’s will can be done in helping us be the dads He created, purposed, and desires for us to be. Let’s be the dads who do not exasperate or embitter our children! Instead, let’s bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord! Exasperating children cause frustration, discouragement, and anger. Children learn from their parents’ actions, not just words.
Obsession with self-sufficiency impacts all aspects of our lives
With our top 3 priorities clear, we can determine and decide to live our lives in alignment with them. When we are living out of alignment with our priorities it will impact us physically, emotionally, and spiritually. If the obsession with self-sufficiency misaligns our priorities, it affects relationships and well-being. Therefore, today let’s prioritize our top 3 as dads and align our lives accordingly!
Today’s Verse of the Day:
For those who are living according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh [which gratify the body], but those who are living according to the Spirit, [set their minds on] the things of the Spirit [His will and purpose]. Now the mind of the flesh is death [both now and forever—because it pursues sin]; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace [the spiritual well-being that comes from walking with God—both now and forever] the mind of the flesh [with its sinful pursuits] is actively hostile to God. It does not submit itself to God’s law, since it cannot
Romans 8:5-7 AMP
Therefore, let’s be the dads who choose to live by the spirit rather than gratifying and having an obsession with things of the flesh. Moreover, let’s be the dads who choose to live according to the Spirit by setting our minds on the things of God and His will and purpose! Finally, let’s be the dads who have our priorities straight and are choosing to live in alignment with them.
So how can we apply today’s verse of the day to help us be the dads living with the right top 3 priorities of God, wife, and kids and make sure nothing gets in the way?
Applications of Romans 8:5-7 that can help us keep our priorities straight and don’t get caught with an obsession with self-sufficiency:
- Renew Your Mind: Instead of focusing solely on earthly matters and self-sufficiency, intentionally renew your mind through prayer, meditation, and studying God’s Word. This will help you align your thoughts with the Spirit’s guidance.
- Prioritize Spiritual Growth: Make it a priority to nurture your relationship with God through regular prayer, worship, and engaging with spiritual disciplines. This will naturally guide you away from self-centeredness.
- Seek God’s Will: In your role as a father, seek God’s will for your family. Rely on His wisdom and guidance to make decisions that prioritize His plan for your family’s well-being.
- Serve Your Family: Embrace the role of a servant leader in your family. This means putting your wife’s and children’s needs above your own desires and serving them selflessly.
- Model Humility: Let go of the need to appear self-sufficient and perfect. Acknowledge your weaknesses and limitations, allowing God’s strength to be displayed in your life.
- Practice Gratitude: Cultivate an attitude of gratitude for the blessings in your life. Recognize that everything comes from God, and avoid taking credit for your successes.
- Communicate Openly: Foster open and honest communication with your wife and children. Discuss your spiritual journey, seek their input, and create an atmosphere where everyone’s needs and perspectives are considered.
- Set Healthy Boundaries: Prioritize your family over external demands. Learn to say no to commitments that might hinder your ability to focus on God, your wife, and your kids.
- Manage Time Wisely: Allocate your time intentionally to God, your wife, and your children. Create routines that include quality time for each priority without neglecting others.
- Encourage Family Spirituality: Engage in family activities that promote spiritual growth. Pray together, study the Bible together, and engage in discussions that encourage everyone’s faith journey.
Don’t become obsessed but instead prioritize
Remember that these applications are not a checklist to complete but rather a set of guiding principles to incorporate into your daily life. By aligning your thoughts, actions, and priorities with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you can create a harmonious balance between your responsibilities as a father and your commitment to God and your family.
