As we start today and consider investing time in my son and our relationship, a thought had come up related to quality and quantity time. Another thought is how important making the time is for relationships, be it starting, building, strengthening, and even restoring them. It takes time. Will you be willing to receive the leading and guiding of God to know how to be a good steward of your time for His glory and for the sake of your wife, kids, and world?
Time by Relationship Stages
Relationship Starting:
In the initiation of relationships, particularly with a potential life partner, it is crucial to seek God’s guidance and start with prayer. Proverbs 18:22 reminds us that finding a spouse is a favor from the Lord:
"He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord."
Therefore, invest time in getting to know each other’s values and beliefs, aligning your relationship with God’s purpose. When starting a family, Deuteronomy 6:6-7 emphasizes the importance of teaching your children about God and His commandments, establishing a foundation of trust and love:
"These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."
In your interactions with the world, approach new relationships with a Christ-centered perspective, aiming to share God’s love and make a positive impact on others.
Relationship Building:
The process of building relationships requires consistent time and effort, whether it be with a spouse, children, or the world. Genesis 2:24 highlights the unity of marriage, emphasizing the need to invest time in shared activities, communication, and mutual support to build a strong marital relationship:
"That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh."
Proverbs 22:6 encourages parents to start their children off on the right path, investing time in meaningful activities and fostering a strong parent-child relationship:
"Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old, they will not turn from it."
In interactions with the world, cultivate relationships with a Christ-like attitude, following Jesus’ command to love one another as He has loved us:
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." (John 13:34).
Relationship Strengthening:
Strengthening relationships involves applying biblical principles of love, patience, and forgiveness. Ephesians 5:25 instructs husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church, underlining the sacrificial nature of love in marriage:
"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her."
For parents, Proverbs 3:12 teaches that the Lord disciplines those He loves, guiding parents to discipline their children with love and provide a nurturing environment:
"because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in."
In relationships with the world, Luke 6:37 encourages forgiveness and non-judgment, urging individuals to extend grace and love, thereby fostering reconciliation and unity:
"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven."
Relationship Restoring through Forgiveness:
Restoring relationships, particularly through forgiveness, is vital for the well-being of a family and the community. Colossians 3:13 advises bearing with each other and forgiving grievances, essential for marital harmony:
"Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you."
In parenting, teaching children the importance of forgiveness, modeled after Matthew 18:21-22, helps them understand the significance of reconciling relationships:
"Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, 'Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?' Jesus answered, 'I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.'"
As agents of reconciliation, 2 Corinthians 5:18 reminds believers that they are given the ministry of reconciliation, encouraging active participation in reconciling relationships within the broader community, promoting forgiveness and unity:
"All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation."
This year I am using the 365 Daily Devotions book I received for Christmas and applying it towards being dads. It’s called WALKING WITH GOD by DAVID JEREMIAH. It’s exciting to get to learn from a new resource this year as we have tried different options the past two years and will keep working through this one for 2024. For more information about the author and his ministry, visit: DavidJeremiah.org.
Topic: ECONOMY OF THE HEART
Verse: Colossians 3:13 (NIV)
Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Firstly, let’s be the dads who are ambassadors of peace! Additionally, let’s be the dads who are agents of reconciliation. Moreover, let’s be the dads who bear with our wives, kids, and world and forgive any with whom we have a grievance. Therefore, today let’s forgive as God has forgiven us through His son Jesus Christ.
Today’s Devotional is interesting as it talks about another book by Charles F. Stanley titled The Gift of Forgiveness. Doing a search for the book, I discovered a devotional that speaks to “We forgive because we’re forgiven, and because God promises to handle judgment.” It speaks to how “Forgiveness is something each of us has had to deal with one way or another. What might take you just a short time to work through might be a process that takes someone else time, prayer, and godly counsel. But it is a process we cannot ignore, not if we want to be free to become the persons God created us to be.“
Looking for a link to the quote above, I discovered the following insight through Google AI:
Forgiveness is a process that can take time, patience, and determination. It can involve:
- Assessing wrongs: Recognize and honestly acknowledge the wrongs you’ve done and how they have affected others. Avoid being too hard on yourself.
- Reaching out: If you’re truly sorry, consider reaching out to those you’ve harmed. Express your sorrow or regret.
- Shifting perspective: Try to shift your perspective on what happened.
- Responding with kindness: Try to respond to yourself as you would to someone you love deeply.
- Making a commitment: Commit to yourself to work towards forgiveness.
- Understanding forgiveness: Understand that forgiveness is a process that doesn’t happen instantly. It takes time and energy to achieve, and might not come easily.
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, forgiveness can have many rewards for your health, including:
Generative AI from google.com
- Lowering the risk of heart attack
- Improving cholesterol levels and sleep
- Reducing pain, blood pressure, and levels of anxiety, depression and stress
Today’s Devotional continues to speak from the book and how key it is forgive because “if we refuse to deal with the bitterness and resentments that put us into bondage, we cannot have the fellowship with our Father we are supposed to have.” God never said it would be easy but that it would be worth it. It may take time to get through it and depending on the offense or injury, it could take years. Forgiveness: Break free from fear, bitterness, and anger. Today’s Devotional points out how not forgiving is actually keeping ourselves behind bars and imprisoning ourselves. We need to forgive since taking poison ourselves that causes us to be angry and bitter won’t help or hurt the other person.
Today’s Devotional challenges us to accept freedom through God by forgiving and giving the bitterness and anger over to God so you can walk in true freedom. Lay your Burdens down! Remember to stop carrying them! Redeeming Dads: Embracing Forgiveness for A Powerful Fatherhood
HANNAH MORE
