Tag: love

I wonder how many of us have had the privilege of simple quiet times with our fathers. I don't mean times when we had nothing to say to them because of heart separation; I am talking of intimate moments where nothing need be said, and it was OK.

As husbands and fathers, how are we expected to pass on what we haven't experienced ourselves? I think that there is a way. I think that maybe one of the reasons our Father in heaven calls us to Himself is to show us how to endear our wives and children to us. I know that may sound a little simplistic, but what if one of the reasons He calls us to Himself is that He intends for us to experience the wondrous peace found in just being with Him? What if, because of those experiences, we begin to find ways to create those same kinds of experiences with those we love?

What comes to mind as I observe wives who have looked to other things for satisfaction, or children that have turned to their peers and the world for acceptance, is that they are screaming out loud by their actions for someone to tell them of their value. Lifetimes are spent looking for someone, anyone, to somehow tell them of their worth. If you look at the phenomenon of cell phones, they are a point of contact that is desperately needed to fill some gap.

Dads, what if you determined to first of all learn how to rest in the quiet acceptance of your heavenly Father, and then passed that kind of privilege on to those who need you to tell them of their worth? What if restoring your family relationships could begin with the simple action of making sure that you are always available to those who need you to show them that they are worth being with? If you've never experienced that kind of acceptance, go get it from your Father, and pass it on by teaching them to go to Him because of being familiar with coming to you. Those who need Him are waiting for you to show them who He is by your actions. Are you willing and ready to go there?

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Jim Corbett

As the world grows darker, and men and women seek out answers for their lives that are out of whack, I am amazed at how many of them are reeling from fathers who had little or no ability to parent. The world is looking to its own wisdom as to why we have horrific things done by youth, or why marriages are thrown away at a whim, or why our cities are festering with hate and crime. For them there are no answers.

In God's economy, however, the answer is very simple. Satan understands the incredible detriment a strong family, headed by a man who seeks the Lord, is to his kingdom. He does everything in his power to destroy it. Generations upon generations have been blinded to the importance and power of a God-honoring father and a Christ-centered family. This erosion has brought our world to the point that the family, God's most important institution, is guided and controlled by peer groups, experts trained in the ways of the world, and governments who make life decisions for us instead of Him.

How is your family doing? As a husband and father, are you leading those God has given you to a place of spiritual power, the kind of power that is overcoming the world and its pressures? Do you have a strong relationship with your heavenly Father, and does your guidance come from Him? Have you determined in your heart that as a steward of your wife and children, you will do what is necessary by the power of the Holy Spirit to see that they have real answers for their lives and are equipped to represent Christ to a world that is out of answers? If not, what do you plan to say to the Lord when you stand before Him and have to give an account for those He has given you?

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Jim Corbett  

As a husband and father, are you teaching your family to be spiritual wimps? If you are, you probably believe that if everything is going your way you are in the will of God. Conversely, if you are under pressure of any kind - especially if the pressure is tremendous or if you don't seem to have what you need to remain in your comfort zone - you feel that you have somehow missed God, or He has missed you.

In general, United States Christians work from their comfort zones. With a few exceptions, they give away only what they no longer need. They pour into God's work only after they have done what is necessary to fill their personal containers.

To take a day off from work simply to be with God is almost unheard of. To actually trust God for everything is looked upon as foolish and even lazy. Prayer is considered less productive than whatever can be accomplished on their own. Only when they run out of their own abilities do they pray, and then only to remove them from their hurt. Whether these examples are extreme or not, any one of them is not a blueprint for others to follow.

If you are a spiritual wimp, you are going to be surprised as the world heads for the conclusions that the Lord has planned from the beginning. You will experience many before unheard of challenges. You will be further surprised when God does not respond to your needs in the way you expect. If you have created a god that serves you and your needs, you will find out that your false god does not exist.

Those who have trusted in their own abilities - what they have earned, what securities they have established for their safety - will not know what to do. When all the normal handles of security have disappeared and there are no familiar places to hang on to, only those who have made intimacy with God their priority will understand His purposes during difficult times - which do not necessarily include their safety or their seeming best interest.

Men, God is sovereign. God's plan is eternal and has eternal consequences. Although greatly loved, we are to be His servants and implementers of His plans, no matter what it costs us, just as Jesus did. All challenges that come our way are designed to make us function like Jesus did, overcoming the world in each of us. As husbands and fathers, we are to listen to our Father from our place of intimacy on His lap, and then do whatever we are called to do for the good of His plan, all to His glory.

Extreme challenges make us weak and out of answers. Trusting in God to overcome those challenges brings us in line with our Father's plan for mankind. Jesus trusted Him for every need as our example. For every challenge, every soul, every situation, He did the unquestioned will of His Father no matter what it cost Him. We are to do the same in front of our families.

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Jim Corbett

As a man reclaims his office of husband and father, there are godly principles that he and his wife should use to determine the will of God for their family.  They are to approach all decision making in family circumstances with the attitude of what is best for God, each other, and the children. Each decision will then produce safety and harmony within the family and fertile soil in which the parents and children can prosper and become everything they are designed to be. If the children are of reasonable age and reasonable in their walk in Christ, they should be provided an opportunity to present their opinions that will be considered by the parents.

As a husband and wife come together for the best interests of each other and the children, they pray, consider all the options, and make a determination. Should they have an impasse and are unable to agree, even after much prayer and submission to each other, the husband should go to prayer and make the decision he feels has been given to him - one that is best for his wife and his children, not for himself.

While seeking to find that decision, his posture must be the same kind of sacrifice that Jesus made. He is to lay down his rights, opinions, and personal gain to be able to hear clearly. Knowing this, the wife submits herself to prayer and then submits to the decision that is presented. Any decisions that involve the children are then presented to them by both parents, who are in agreement. What an incredibly joyous way to glorify God! Try it!

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Jim Corbett

Have you ever thought of your family as a fortress? God does! He has designed you as a husband and father to be a covering from all of the treachery offered by the world to devour your wife and children. A man, who is properly submitted to God, is equipped to lead those he is steward of to places of safety in all they do, and make the home an environment that nurtures, supports, and equips them to venture into the world again. The atmosphere he creates is an impenetrable fortress - a place of spiritual direction, safety, warmth, and love - for his family.

As a covering, part of your journey is to discover and repair any breaches in your family fortress, either those created by you or the attacks of the world. Once you realize that the enemy is relentless in the pursuit of your family - wanting them to conform to his ways, wanting your fortress to be compromised in any way possible - you will see your job description in a different light. You will understand how important it is to create a fortress for them, and look to God for help, wisdom, and strength. It's your job.

What is so exciting is that He is waiting for you to turn everything over to Him for His guidance. As you are the covering for your family, He is the covering for you. He delights in making sure that you have all you need to fortify your family against any attack they may experience, as you seek and submit to Him and His power. He is not only worthy of your submission, He is an unbeatable covenant partner, allied with you against any attempt by the enemy to breach what He has put together.

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Jim Corbett