Trying to go the easy way without having to work for it? Looking for handouts that keep you oppressed and held back from the fullness God has planned for you? Looking for the easy way even if holds you down and makes you dependent on the wrong things?
We need to lead with love! We can’t be looking to go the easy way and leave people stranded in a state of oppression. Let’s take a stand like Jesus did in Luke 13 and take a stand to help someone who is oppressed and bent over by providing them with love, hope, and freedom. Let’s lead with love so that we can overcome the powers and principalities of this dark work through the love and power of Jesus!
Jesus chose the hard path over the easy way because it mattered:
‘Now Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And there was a woman who for eighteen years had had an illness caused by a spirit (demon). She was bent double, and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are released from your illness.” Then He laid His hands on her; and immediately she stood erect again and she began glorifying and praising God. But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, began saying to the crowd in response, “There are six days in which work ought to be done; so come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.” But the Lord replied to him, “You hypocrites (play-actors, pretenders)! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall and lead it away to water it? And this woman, a daughter (descendant) of Abraham whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?” As He was saying this, all His opponents were being humiliated; and the entire crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things that were being done by Him. ‘
Luke 13:10-17
So you come upon someone in need today, how will you respond? Will you try to help with a handout, or will you choose to go a different path and provide a hand me up? Let’s pause before we react and choose to respond out of love that will make a difference for longer than a moment and keep them from coming back to the same placed because of being oppressed. How can we make a difference that is transformative like Jesus did for that lady, in spite of what the leaders had to say?
Today’s Verse of the Day:
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad and easy to travel is the path that leads the way to destruction and eternal loss, and there are many who enter through it.
Matthew 7:13 AMP
Firstly, let’s be the dads who realize the impact of compromise and trying to go the easy way. Secondly, let’s be the dads who remember the narrow road and narrow gate lead to heaven and eternity with God. Thirdly, let’s be the dads who look for ways to stop the oppression by responding in love and directing people away from the wide gate and the broad and easy road so that they too can find freedom and spend eternity with God rather than in destruction and eternal loss!
How can we apply today’s verse of the day in a way that breaks people free from oppression and allows them to walk in the freedom that Jesus provides us. How can we apply it to being the husbands and the dads that our kids need and keep them from falling into the traps and lies of the devil and his dark principalities?
Applications of Matthew 7:13 towards being the dads God created us to be for the sake of our wives, kids, and world so that He will receive the praise, the honor, and the glory in Jesus’ name:
- Lead by Example: Be a role model for your family by choosing the narrow path in your own life. Demonstrate the values and principles you want your children to follow.
- Teach Discernment: Help your children understand the difference between right and wrong, good and evil. Encourage them to make wise choices.
- Prayer and Guidance: Pray with your family and seek God’s guidance in all decisions. Teach your children the importance of seeking His will.
- Set Boundaries: Establish clear boundaries and expectations for your children. This will help them navigate the narrow path by avoiding temptation and sin.
- Encourage Critical Thinking: Foster critical thinking skills in your children. Equip them to evaluate information, make informed decisions, and resist false teachings.
- Foster a Love for Scripture: Encourage regular Bible reading and study in your family. Scripture provides guidance and wisdom for navigating life’s challenges.
- Cultivate Strong Relationships: Invest time in building strong relationships with your spouse and children. A loving, supportive family can help shield against the devil’s lies.
- Serve Others: Teach your family the importance of selfless service to others. Demonstrating love and compassion can be a powerful testimony.
- Stay Alert: Be vigilant in recognizing and addressing any signs of negative influences, temptations, or harmful influences in your family’s life.
- Seek Accountability: Surround yourself and your family with a community of like-minded individuals who can provide accountability, support, and encouragement in your spiritual journey.
Lead by example by not choosing the easy way:
By applying these principles and emphasizing the importance of the narrow path, you can help your family break free from oppression and walk in the freedom that Jesus provides. Ultimately, your example as a husband and father can have a profound impact on your children’s spiritual growth and their ability to resist the devil’s schemes, thereby bringing praise, honor, and glory to God in Jesus’ name.
