This week I have had the tremendous burden of shepherding a family through the removal of one of their children from their home, because of repeated, unrepentant, severe sin. As parents we will never answer for how our children turn out: ONLY for how WE raised them. That reminded me of how all of us who know Christ must go on doing what we are called to do. Here is that reminder from Chapter 15 of the Word Filled Families book. I call this Moving Families Toward Godliness: The Four Disciplines The ultimate goal of Word-filled parenting is to lead our families to love God—nothing spectacular, nothing superhuman, just regular and consistent adoration of the “King of kings and Lord of lords” (1 Timothy 6:12-16). The results can be extraordinary! In a moment we will see snapshots of four dads who lived such a Word-filled life—three from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament. The encouraging similarity is that all of these men were mightily used by God in spite of their imperfections, failures, and struggles! Isn’t it wonderful that our perfect God does not expect perfection before He can be served in a mighty way? Isn’t it amazing that He wants to use each of us for His glory? Because of this, with great joy we can press on as husbands and dads to become all God calls us to be! And even when we fail at times, we get to start over again through the cleansing of forgiveness. Each and every day thus becomes His gift of a marvelous new beginning! ONLY God Is a Perfect Father: How do we, who are so imperfect, even begin to perform one of the most difficult tasks in life—parenting? We begin by seeing our great God as He is, and then, in the power of His Spirit, we emulate Him. Though we will sometimes fail as His students, we can always point our families to their Perfect Father. The perfect father would be one who knows everything about you, and still loves you. The perfect father would always be on your side. He would be big enough for anything, and never ever let you down. Of course, that description can fit only one Person—God the Father, as declared by Christ, His dear Son (John 1:18). Jesus introduced us to Him as our Perfect Father. God our Father is all-seeing. “Your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly” (Matthew6:4b; see also Matthew 6:6b and 6:18c). When you fear that you don’t know enough to get the job done—remember whom you work with. Nothing escapes our heavenly Father’s notice. Jesus calls Him our “Father who sees all of our secrets.” Whenever we keep our charitable deeds secret, keep our prayers a private act of worship, or keep fasting strictly between us and the Lord, our Perfect Father sees and will reward us accordingly. He is always “keeping watch on the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3b). Yet, even though we fail Him at times, He still loves us. What a comfort to have God as our Perfect Father and to know that He is on our side! God our Father is all-providing. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (James 1:17). When you feel completely inadequate, remember that we are invited to draw upon our Supplying Father, whose resources are limitless. Have you met and entered into communion with our Father of Mercy? Oh, how much He loves you and is supremely on your side! God our Father is all-powerful. “Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?” (Hebrews 12:9). This “Father of spirits” is powerful, and we should therefore trust in His strength to deliver us, even during times of correction. Chastening is always intended for our good; our Perfect Father is able to make us victorious because He is big enough for anything (Genesis 18:14a)! God our Father is never-failing. God is “the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow or turning” (James 1:17b). When you feel like you have failed again—remember that He never does. His name “Father of lights” reminds us that our God is the Creator of the sun, moon, and stars (See Genesis 1:14–19). However, unlike these “lights” that are subject to movement and change, the incredible truth is that our great God is changeless. He can never be anything less than absolute perfection! In everyday language, that means He is the Father who will never let us down. Therefore, we can constantly be at rest as we place all our hopes in our Secure Father. We should imitate God and those he uses as examples. “Therefore, be imitators of God, as dear children” (Ephesians 5:1). We have partnered with our Perfect God and we can accomplish all He calls us to do. To help us know how, He has given us His Word to glean insights from other fathers who have done things God’s way—especially fathers of the Word. We are therefore going to look at four godly habits to emulate, as demonstrated in the lives of these biblical models: Job, Noah, Abraham, and Joseph. How does God use the lens of Scripture to portray these Word-filled men of the past? When He took their “pictures,” what images stood out most clearly? I am delighted to say that their wonderful habits are not outdated, but can be followed by us in the twenty-first century as well! Four men, four methods, four examples—God is so good. He tells us what to do, and then shows us how to do it. He then provides His grace and encouragement to go out and imitate the same godly characteristics. So as you read about the habits of these Word-filled dads, I exhort you to carefully analyze what they did, and then ask the Lord to guide you in doing the same. Discipline Number One: Job Models Prayer The Book of Job is perhaps the oldest book in the world. It is probably the clearest view into the spirit world, the spiritual side of parenting, and the cosmic conflicts we face as parents. From Job’s example, we can learn his habit of prayer. By the power of God’s Spirit, we start making that habit characteristic of our own lives. Job Prayed for His Children’s Activities “So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, ‘It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.’ Thus Job did regularly” (Job 1:5). Note these words: “when the days of feasting.” This indicates that Job prayerfully followed the lives of his children. He knew what was going on in their lives—their cycle of house visits, parties, get-togethers, and so on. He was in touch daily with where they were, and where they were headed. Job followed his children around in his heart, because he had a godly concern and love for them. You and I will never pray effectively for those who are not regularly on our hearts. Do you follow your children’s lives in this same manner? Part of friendship is sharing what’s going on in our lives. If our sons and daughters become our brothers and sisters in Christ—the next step is friendship. We stay in touch by love. When apart, we share their days joyfully by praying for them. We ask them to keep us posted so we know what we can be asking the Lord to do. This closeness is only earned by a loving friendship they have experienced with you. Job Prayed for His Children’s Purity “So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, ‘It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.’ Thus Job did regularly” (Job 1:5). Job prayerfully sought the personal consecration of his children. This speaks of his high priestly role at the head of his family. He went to God seeking their purity before the Lord. We likewise need to know our children and seek their sanctification. As fathers, we should tell them when they are out of line, immodest, heading toward sin, and so on. Word-filled men will know the spiritual status of their children, and be prayerfully caring about their growth toward Christlikeness. How can you do this? By asking the Lord to make you sensitive to their struggles, their concerns, their fears, their anticipations. And then, after you have both remembered and prayed about these areas, ask your children how you can better encourage and support them. This will open up a new level of your relationship with them. I write these things down for my family in my prayer journal. (To help you get started, Appendix B has sample pages.) Then, as I read the Word, verses leap from its pages and into my heart. I pray those verses, asking the Lord to do what He promised for my children. Afterwards, I share with my children a verse or a principle from God’s Word that touches their lives. Do you care about the consecration of your children? How about your wife? Then ask the Lord to open His Word to you—for them! Job Prayed for His Children’s Relationship With God “So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, ‘It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.’ Thus Job did regularly” (Job 1:5). Job prayerfully offered himself to God as an intercessor for his family. Every morning, without fail, he rose early to offer sacrifices on their behalf. This habit wasn’t just “talk”; it was work! Prayer is much like holding something for someone we love, and making sure that it is guarded carefully. Have you offered yourself to God as an intercessor for your family? Job Prayed for His Children’s Hearts “So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, ‘It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.’ Thus Job did regularly” (Job 1:5). Job prayerfully looked at his family from God’s perspective. This godly dad was so vitally concerned about his children’s inner spiritual lives that he cried out to God for them! Have you started doing this, Dad? Job kept himself aware of the constant pressures of the world, the flesh, and the devil. He wanted pure children, a holy family, and strong worshipers of God Almighty. He diligently watched over their lives, trying to see them from the inside out. We likewise ought to sometimes look at our children as they will be, instead of as they are right now. After all, God does that for us! In Ephesians 1:3–6, the phrase “being seated with Christ” refers to our future glorified condition, and the Lord relates to us on that basis—never overlooking sin, but always seeing us as we shall be, by His grace. Do you compassionately look at your children as they will become, or only at their present immaturity? Job Never Stopped Praying for His Children “So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, ‘It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.’ Thus Job did regularly” (Job 1:5). Job prayerfully persisted in his prayer ministry for his family. He was a great dad because he persevered in prayer throughout their entire lives. The way to success in any endeavor is to get started and not quit. Job not only started following their lives, offering intercessory prayers along the way, but he also wouldn’t stop. Therefore, he was ready for the unexpected death of his children, because he had prepared them for it every day. Have you started? Keep on. Have you quit? Get started again. Godly fathers in tune with the Scriptures will know their children deeply, personally, and directly. They will get involved in making sure they stay pure, and stand ready to seek their repentance and restoration as needed. Godly fathers will look at heart attitudes, and will not ever stop! Discipline Number Two: Noah Models Obedience Noah models another facet of the Word-filled dad because he obeyed. Have you ever wondered how Noah did it? Every other family on earth was losing their children, who had all “gone to the devil”—literally! But Noah’s children did not. Why was that? It was God’s grace through a man who had responded and cultivated a heart for God. There is a pattern to his life we all would do well to note. Job was a great dad because he prayed. Noah was considered great because he obeyed. Noah Believed God “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith” (Hebrews 11:7). In that one verse, the inspired writer of Hebrews condenses the Genesis 6–9 biography of Noah’s life. The character of Noah’s whole life is summed up with just one word: obedience. Even though the world had never seen anything close to a flood, Noah chose to believe God “by faith,” and spent 120 years (Genesis 6:3) obediently carrying out His instructions for building the huge ark. Let me ask you, men: do you believe God enough to follow His instructions for building a godly family? Noah Stayed in Touch With God “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith” (Hebrews 11:7). Fathers of the Word will be like Noah, who believed God and obediently warned his family of things to come. Through both the Word and prayer, Noah kept in spiritual contact with God, and listened to Him. This association led to the spiritual perception of God’s will for his family. I hope you likewise will keep in touch with God so you can know with certainty God’s will for your family, and obey it. Noah Obeyed God “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith” (Hebrews 11:7). Have you ever wondered about Noah’s initial reaction when God first mentioned the coming judgment, and the need to build an ark? Perhaps he thought: he wants me to build a what? When God gave the dimensions, it might have seemed like a “mission impossible.” Remember, the ark was a barge-like ship 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. The floor space totaled 1.5 million square feet. This equals almost 600 railroad stock cars, which could easily hold the number of animals God sent to the ark. Noah never let the immensity of the task ahead detract from his commitment to obey Almighty God. If you are facing what seems to be a “mission impossible,” like Noah, reach out in faith and trust God to see you safely through. Noah Led His Family “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith” (Hebrews 11:7). Noah was considered to be a righteous man, who walked with God, just like Enoch (Genesis 5:24). Because of his consistent integrity, both in the world and at home, Noah’s family went along with his project, even though it meant standing alone in the whole world! Would your family be willing to pay such a price because of your life’s testimony? Is your testimony one of sitting in front of a TV set? Shopping on eBay? Or serving the Lord by reading the Bible and praying with your children at night before they go to bed? How about prayer? Do you say “Let’s pray” when the family gets in the car? Do you ask what the children learned at school, Sunday school, or youth group? Do you serve the Lord by volunteering to help when needs arise to clean, move, and work on your weekend for the Lord? All of these services speak so much louder than words to your family. Noah Bravely Condemned Sin “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith” (Hebrews 11:7). Noah courageously confronted the whole world of sin and stood against it. This was not easy because of the intense demonic activity prevalent in the days of Noah. Until the end of the world there will never be a time of stronger demonic activity. The entire earth was anti-God, anti-righteousness, and pro-sin. Immorality was at its vilest degrees, murder was rampant, and people were deaf to the Word from God. After 120 faithful years of preaching (Genesis 6:3) there was not one human beyond his family that Noah had convinced that God was right and he was wrong. Only Noah and his family believed in God and entered the ark of safety. And Scripture tells us, “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man.” (Luke 17:26). Many Bible scholars believe that we are living in those very days right now. Noah was willing to obey God, regardless of the cost to him and his family. Are you willing to follow Christ with that same depth of devotion? Today we have no ark to build, but we do have to choose if we will be shaped by the world or by Christ. For example, measure the influence Jesus has through His Word on the clothes your wife, sons, and daughters wear. (See chapter 20 for a brief guide to biblical modesty.) Do they reflect Him? How about the music they listen to? Is it prompting them to seek the Lord or the world? Whatever movies, videos, and amusements they enjoy—do they please God? How about the level of sports involvement in your family’s schedule? (A decrease in out-of-the-home events will free up time for the powerful simplicity of reading the Bible at meals and discussing it with your family.) Is the Lord honored by your family’s schedule? Noah Lived According to Faith “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith” (Hebrews 11:7). This is the genealogy of Noah: “Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God” (Genesis 6:9). Wow! What a tribute! Wouldn’t you love to have God say that about you? Biblical heroes are those men who, like Noah, faithfully saved their families by obediently warning with both word and example. Discipline Number Three: Abraham Models Leadership...this is only an excerpt from this eBook:
Posted on: Wed, 12 Nov 2014 17:46:59 +0000
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