Today we continue the devotional Father Like The Father. I appreciate God’s leading and sorting of articles so that the topics and instruction we can get around be the dads are on point and speak the truth in love. I have been blessed with my interaction with them as they gave guidance and support for my posts. Bible.com introduces the devotional like this:
Throughout Scripture, God is called Father. Yet how does He father His children? What parenting principles can we learn by observing His interactions with humanity? This seven-day study will examine key Scriptures which will help you to father like the Father.
Father Like The Father
Today’s devotional connects with:
‘God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. ‘
Genesis 1:4-5
‘And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” ‘
Genesis 2:16-17
Today’s scriptures speak to the importance of healthy boundaries. They speak to the benefits and drawbacks of staying within the boundaries versus going outside of them. The rules help set the foundation for us. Grace is the oxygen that helps keep things moving forward alive. We see how the first boundary God set was between light and darkness, between day and night, and how they together give us a day. We see how God gave Adam and Eve a boundary to help them stay pure and holy. God set the boundary that they could eat from any tree in the garden except the ones found on the tree of knowledge of good and evil. God let them know the drawback or detriment of eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil would bring death. So are you ready to live within the healthy boundaries God has given you? Are you ready to live your life with the boundaries that will bring you life? Are you ready to live your life by setting healthy boundaries for yourself and your family? Are you ready to be the dad who sets boundaries for his family so that they can be blessed?
Today’s devotional has been provided by Carlos Santiago and FamilyLife (more details can be found http://www.familylife.com)
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 on communicating with your kids listen to, Blessing Your Child Through Your Words on FamilyLifeToday.com.
Set Boundaries
- Let’s be the dads who set healthy boundaries for our kids for their good, for their well-being, for their lives.
- Do you remember when they were babies and how we had to setup all the baby proofing?
- Plug covers as a healthy boundary to keep them getting shocked?
- Padding on sharp corners to keep them from getting cut or hurt?
- Baby gates to keep them from falling down the stairs?
- Baby seats to get them around safely and even home from the hospital?
- Cribs to keep them safe through the night?
- Baby monitors to be able to ensure they were safe when they went to sleep?
- and many more…
- Do you remember finding the things you missed or forgot because they found them for you? And if you were lucky you stopped them before any harm was done?
- Do you remember having to change or adjust the boundaries as they grow up? From barely moving to crawling to walking to running?
- Do you remember trying to stay one step ahead of them but realizing you needed a new safety mechanism, a new boundary to come into place?
- Do you remember setting curfews? Do you remember setting bed times? Do you remember setting up washing and bathing practices?
- In the midst of the troubles or pains we face, we need to be the dads who setup clear and concise boundaries for the good of our kids and our families in general.
- Let’s be the dads who love our kids like God loved Adam and give to our kids.
- God loved Adam so much that He “gave him everything he would ever possibly need.“
- God loved Adam so much that He gave him “a wonderful environment“.
- God loved Adam so much that He gave him “an intimate relationship with his Father.“
- God loved Adam so much that He gave him “a good job.”
- God loved Adam so much that He gave him “good food.“
- God loved Adam so much that He gave him “safety.“
- God loved Adam so much that He gave him Eve as his wife.
- Let’s be the dads who are generous and lavish with our kids and yet still set healthy boundaries for them to live within.
- God set the laws of nature by setting the boundaries between light and darkness.
- God set the boundaries for Adam when He told him not to eat from the fruit of knowledge of good and evil but that he was free and clear to eat from every other tree.
- Let’s be the dads who set boundaries to protect our kids like God did for Adam.
- Let’s realize that no matter how good our intentions just like Adam who received freewill from God, our kids have freewill too and may choose to cross those boundaries.
- Let’s be the dads who set boundaries to proetect our kids and let them know and realize the consequences if they choose to cross them.
- For Adam it meant being removed from the garden of Eden.
- For Adam it meant being having to go and work the land for food.
- For Adam, his disobedience of crossing the boundary mean inviting sin, pain, and death into the world that continues today.
- Let’s be the dads who like our Heavenly Father set clear boundaries for our kids.
- Let’s be the dads who like our Heavenly Father set clear consequences for our kids if the break or cross the boundary.
- Let’s be the dads who like our Heavenly Father who let our kids know the penalty associated with not staying within the boundaries.
- Let’s be the dads who learn to live within God’s boundaries for our own good.
- Let’s be the dads who are equipped to better lead and guide our families because we are following our Heavenly Father’s example.
- Let’s be the dads who equip our kids for when they grow up so that they too can set healthy boundaries for their families.
- Let’s be the dads who set godly boundaries based on biblical principals from God.
- Let’s be the dads who ask God for the wisdom and discernment, the boldness and courage to set and enforce the boundaries.
- Today’s devotional speaks for us to pray:
