Ever noticed that when you are doing something, and your focus is on a specific direction that is where you tend to go? When you are driving and you are focused on something else, notice how you tend to swerve? It’s like that with our hearts too, it follows where our treasure is and hence the comment that your treasure marks the spot.
Focus impacts your direction
Focusing on a particular direction often reflects our priorities, goals, and values. In the biblical context, the Bible encourages believers to have a clear focus on righteous living, God’s will, and the teachings of Jesus Christ. Here are some examples and biblical applications:
Prioritizing God’s Kingdom:
Dad Decision: Leading the family in regular prayer, worship, and biblical teachings.
Biblical Application: Matthew 6:33 - "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."
Setting Moral Priorities:
Dad Decision: Choosing ethical behavior as an example for the family.
Biblical Application: Proverbs 4:25 - "Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you."
Focus on Positive Thoughts:
Dad Decision: Cultivating a positive mindset within the family and avoiding negative influences.
Biblical Application: Philippians 4:8 - "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."
Directed Work Ethic:
Dad Decision: Modeling a strong work ethic with a sense of purpose for the benefit of the family.
Biblical Application: Colossians 3:23 - "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men."
Focus on Love and Compassion:
Dad Decision: Prioritizing acts of kindness and love towards family members.
Biblical Application: 1 Corinthians 16:14 - "Let all that you do be done in love."
Seeking Wisdom:
Dad Decision: Investing time in gaining knowledge and providing wise guidance to the family.
Biblical Application: Proverbs 4:7 - "The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight."
Remaining Steadfast in Faith:
Dad Decision: Holding onto faith and being a spiritual anchor during challenging times for the family.
Biblical Application: Hebrews 12:2 - "Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."
These dad-focused decisions align with biblical principles, promoting a nurturing and godly environment within the family.
Topic: CAUGHT LIKE A MONKEY!
Verse: Matthew 6:21
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
This is a powerful verse when we think about it from the implications and importance of it in being the dads God created, purposed, and calls us to be as well as the dads our wives, kids, and world need us to be. Things like Invest Time in Family, Prioritize Spiritual Growth, Cultivate Emotional Connections, Teach Values and Morality, Provide Financial Stability, Model Love and Respect, Support Educational Pursuits, and Build a Legacy of Faith.
Invest Time in Family:
- Lesson: Time spent with family is a treasure that deeply impacts the heart.
- Practice: Dedicate quality time to engage in meaningful activities with your children, building strong bonds.
Prioritize Spiritual Growth:
- Lesson: Investing in spiritual well-being is an eternal treasure.
- Practice: Lead family prayers, engage in Bible studies together, and model a life committed to God’s principles.
Cultivate Emotional Connections:
- Lesson: Emotional investments contribute to a rich and fulfilling family life.
- Practice: Be emotionally present for your children, actively listening to their concerns, joys, and struggles.
Teach Values and Morality:
- Lesson: Instilling moral values is a lasting treasure for generations.
- Practice: Share and exemplify principles of honesty, integrity, and kindness, guiding your children in making ethical decisions.
Provide Financial Stability:
- Lesson: Financial responsibility impacts the family’s well-being and future.
- Practice: Budget wisely, save for the family’s future, and teach children about responsible financial habits.
Model Love and Respect:
- Lesson: Love and respect form the foundation of a healthy family.
- Practice: Demonstrate love and respect towards your spouse and children, creating a nurturing and secure environment.
Support Educational Pursuits:
- Lesson: Investing in education is an enduring gift to your children.
- Practice: Encourage and support your children’s academic endeavors, emphasizing the value of learning and personal growth.
Build a Legacy of Faith:
- Lesson: Leaving a spiritual legacy is a priceless treasure.
- Practice: Share your faith journey, pass on biblical teachings, and model a Christ-centered life for your children.
In essence, Matthew 6:21 encourages dads to consider where they invest their time, energy, and resources, recognizing that these investments shape the heart and legacy of the family. Prioritizing eternal values and building meaningful connections with family are key takeaways for dads from this verse.
Moreover, it starts with focus:
Today’s Devotional starts off speaking about the “ancient parable of “The Monkey’s Fist” that teaches us the lesson of greed and unwillingness to let go of the bait”. Found a version of the story on the internet and sharing for context:
Monkey Fist
To trap a monkey, the tribesmen or hunters would place a piece of food in a jar or hollowed-out coconut. The opening was large enough for the monkey to reach in with an unclenched hand. However, once the primate closed its paw around the treat, the fist was too large to pull out of the container. Insistent on gripping its catch, the monkey would try every which way to get free with its food still clutched in its paw. Meanwhile, those lying in wait would swoop in and grab the unsuspecting simian.
Let go: The lesson of the monkey’s fist
Let’s learn our lesson from the parable rather than having to learn it ourselves the hard way and let go. Let’s be the dads who aren’t “clutching our material possessions so tightly in the attitude of our hearts that worry handicaps us, negatively impacting our faith, our families, and friends and our future.” Let’s be the dads who put God first, allowing Him to be our treasure so that our hearts will be interest in “giving Him what belongs to Him – our time, talents, treasures”, and testimonies “so we can stop worrying about our futures”.
Today’s Devotional closes with a challenge and word of wisdom for us dads, “if you are grasping something tightly right now, you’re in a trap and need to release your grip. There’s not a better time to let go. Open your hands now. God has incredible gifts and resources for you — more than you could ever hold in your fists.”
[God doesn’t look at just what we have, He also looks at what we keep.
RANDY ALCORN, The Treasure Principle (Colorado Springs: Multnomah Books, 2001),65
