Tag: encouragment

From the book, The Father Factor by Jim and Merry Corbett

If the plan of God is for man to savor only the things of God and desire only to fulfill God’s plan for his life while he presides over the family unit under the complete Lordship of Jesus Christ, then any distortion or compromise of that perfect plan minimizes its effectiveness. If men can be fooled into desiring taste buds for anything other than God and His desires, the enemy is well on his way to minimizing man’s effectiveness and rendering the offices he holds powerless.

In nature, when a male of any species undergoes emasculation, he no longer seeks to fulfill the natural, God-given desires inherent in his makeup. In the same way, when a man becomes spiritually impotent, he no longer has a desire to fulfill his God-given offices of husband and/or father in the manner God intended, nor does he take on the longing or compassions that Jesus has for souls in the way God intended his new nature to function.

The things that stirred the heart of Jesus - absolute obedience, the desire to fulfill the will of His Father, the desire that none should perish - no longer move the spiritually impotent man. He is not stimulated to pursue the heart of God, the life of Jesus that had no compromise, the passions that drove Jesus to the cross on behalf of others, or the joy of pleasing his Father in heaven with exuberance. He is spiritually impotent as God sees it. Because he is blinded spiritually, he goes about the “business” of being a Christian, oblivious to how far he is from what God intended for his life.

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Jim Corbett

Life is full of choices. Some are major and some mean little in the long run. The choices you make as a husband and father have great impact. They not only affect how your marriage works and how well your children do in life; they also affect their eternal well-being.

If you don’t prioritize your life for the Lord, you sentence your children to learn what life is all about from their peers. School, society, movies, music, and social networking all play an influential part in their lives. Normally, none of those sources impart anything about Jesus and how important He is for real life. You hold the key to their introduction to Him.

Living your life with the priority of following Christ is the only antidote strong enough to combat all the worldly values your children face. You, as their father, have been given the responsibility of raising them up with a full commitment to Jesus. They’ll be able to see who He really is by you living His life before them. Even though it’s an incredible responsibility, you will find a corresponding joy as you see their lives fall in line with His desires.

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Jim Corbett

In the movie Courageous, the main character stands in front of his church and says: “So where are you, men of courage? Where are you, fathers who fear the Lord? It’s time to rise up and answer the call that God has given to you, and to say ‘I will. I will. I will.’” In somewhat the same way, I believe the Lord is asking you and me where we are in defending His principles on marriage. Do we believe it’s the highest institution He ever created? Do we understand He is calling men to restore their offices of husband and father? Where do we stand on the issue of rescuing our children from the lies and patterns of the world, while helping other men to do the same?

Man of God, where are you regarding the onslaught aimed at your marriage and family? How willing are you to prioritize your life when it comes to God’s desire that your marriage and family honor Him in every conceivable way? What are you prepared to do to make sure your marriage is an example of the relationship between Jesus and His church, and that your children are an example of His love to their generation? If those questions are not your priority, what is your priority?

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Jim Corbett

It has been said that more than 80% of men dabble in some form of pornography. Every one of us has been tempted by the world around us and most of us have fallen at one time or another. I know that I have had to repent to my wife for the things that I entertained and embraced with my eyes on more than one occasion as I was growing in the Lord.

Looking lustfully at other women is more than doing something wrong. It’s adultery against your wife and your marriage. It’s not just a private sin that harms no one. It’s loving something more than you love God and your wife. It’s a sin that is painful, harmful, and destructive to any kind of loving intimacy.

Maybe it’s time to examine your life. Take note of what you do with your eyes. If you need to repent, do so. Ask the Lord to heal you and your desires, bringing them into line with His will. Embrace the beauty in the bride He has given you, even if you haven’t done so in a long time.  Find Christ’s idea of beauty in her. Ask Him to let you see your wife as He sees her. It’s never too late to change!

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Jim Corbett

God’s kingdom advances in part by how your family grows spiritually. You and your family have an important part in the way the world comprehends the Gospel. They see the work of Jesus by the way you present Him to them.

Think of the impact you can have in the world around you. Think of the impact a spiritually mature wife and spiritually alive children can have on those they come in contact with. In no other way can their influence be more important.

Look around. Look at all the out-of-order marriages. Think of all the children who have only the world and its ways to guide them. You and your family can help make a difference in their lives as you present Jesus. As you point to Him in spoken and unspoken ways, those around you can find what they need to live a vibrant life in Christ and then point others in His direction. What a wonderful ripple effect! What an incredible opportunity!

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Jim Corbett