He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children.
- MALACHI 4:6

When I gaze at the family snapshots on my desk, a lump forms in my throat. Where are the grinning little boys proudly holding stringers of fish? When did they grow up to become fathers with their own little boys? Where are the little girls in pigtails? When were they transformed into stunning brides? Time does not stand still, nor does the life of a family. But there is one thing that doesn't change: the importance of a dad. A boy needs the heart of his father and the fellowship of men. He needs at least one man who pays attention to him, spends time with him, admires him and teaches him how to become a man himself.

A boy needs a role model. From experience, I can tell you how easy it is for dads to be selfish. When our children were younger, I struggled with placing my children's needs above my own desires. I realized that I had a choice to make every day. If I had gone home from work and retreated into my own world, I would have squandered my responsibility to build into my kids. It requires perseverance, not perfection, to be the father that your children need. You will not be flawless. But you can learn how to reserve energy so that you don't come home from work so emotionally exhausted that you have nothing left for our kids. You can choose not to bend to selfishness but instead to say yes to investing in the next generation.

When our children were little, it occurred to me one day that I needed to save some energy for home. On a card I wrote, "Save Some for Home." I clipped that card to the shade of my lamp on my desk and for more than a decade, it reminded me of my children's needs for a daddy. Dads, do you have an extra paper clip?

DISCUSS

On a 1- to 10-point scale (1 being poor and 10 being outstanding), grade yourself as a father. How involved are you in your children's lives emotionally, relationally and spiritually?

PRAY

Pray that you will be there for your children.

by Greg Laurie

Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble.
- Psalm 119:165

It's amazing to me how people will obsess about a wedding but forget about the marriage. The most important thing is not the wedding; it's the marriage.

If you see a strong and thriving marriage, it didn't happen by accident or by default. If a marriage is strong and thriving, it's because two people are doing their part. The man has his part, and the woman has her part.

Is it possible to have a marriage where we live happily ever after? I think we ought to lose the fairy tale and rephrase that. You can live happily even after . . . if you build your marriage on the right foundation.

God has a plan for marriage, and if we will do it His way, He can bless it. Ephesians 5:31–33 takes us back to the very beginning: "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband" (NKJV).

God has given us an instruction manual for life, which includes His directions for marriage, family, and raising children - and also being single. That instruction manual is called the Bible, and we need to pay attention to what it says.

As we disregard God's rules, God's laws, we will pay a price for it. It has been said that a family can survive without a nation, but the nation cannot survive without the family. God has given us His template for marriage and the family, and the further we get away from it, the worse things become.

Share this today:

A strong, thriving marriage doesn't happen by default.

by Chriss and Michelle Groff

Balancing goodness (love) and severity (truth)

"Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness …"
- Rom 11:22 (NKJV).

It is interesting to note the number of times the Bible describes God as exhibiting two attributes that are polar opposites of each other. In this verse, they are goodness and severity. God's love is expressed in His goodness, but it is not His only characteristic. He is also severe (righteous) with those who disobey. He balances these attributes perfectly as he relates to His children.

In the same way, we are called to imitate God in our relationships with our kids. We cannot be always be "good" because there will be times of rebellion and disobedience in their lives. We cannot always be "severe" because that creates resentment and fear. A balance between the two is our goal, and God will give you the wisdom to achieve that balance if you ask (James 1:5).

Ask God for the wisdom to balance goodness and severity in your relationships with your children.

by Dr. Jack Graham

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
- Colossians 3:23-24

Bear Bryant, the notable and legendary football coach of the Texas Aggies and Alabama Crimson Tide, had a storied career. After 38 seasons of coaching, Bryant conducted an interview to share what made him so successful. The reporter asked him what his life would've been like if he'd never become a coach.

Bryant, who was raised on a farm in rural Arkansas, responded, "If I hadn't found football, I would have ended up behind a mule all my life, just like my daddy. But I guarantee you one thing: I would have plowed the straightest furrow in Arkansas!"

Many people believe that if they don't have a prominent career or make loads of money, they have the right to do their work halfheartedly. But the truth is that wherever God has us, we're to do the very best with the abilities He's given us.

If you're a millionaire businessperson, be the best businessperson you can be. If you're a blue-collar hourly worker, be the best worker you can be. Do whatever you do to the utmost, using the gifts God has given you to make an impact for His name!

WORK HEARTILY WHEREVER GOD HAS YOU AND YOU'LL MAKE AN IMPACT FOR HIS NAME.