Pick your crisis these days – the border, inflation, crime, Covid, foreign relations and national debt to list a few. By the way, have you tried to increase your credit card limit to $10,000,000 dollars recently so you can live well beyond your means for a while? You will probably not get approved and are more likely to get laughed at. Yet the federal government unashamedly keeps raising their debt limit and spending money beyond the nation’s means.

Enthusiasm is not the word that comes to mind when I look at our nation’s health and well-being. But apathy is not the answer! Enthusiasm is exactly what dads are to exhibit in trying times. A dear friend periodically sends out a card that says, “The Greek word for enthusiasm means ‘to be filled with God.’- May you be enthused and enthusiastically face the challenges of the day.” What are you filled with?

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything with prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:6-7. Paul knew very well that being anxious about anything is giving power to evil forces not interested in one’s well-being. With prayer and petition, in the power of the risen Lord and indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the evil one can be rebuked. Today, with the isolation caused by the response to Covid and the division being stirred up by the respective crises, many dads and homes are filled with anxiety. The charge to dads is “to be filled with God” and fill your home with the Holy Spirit. Enthusiastically present requests to God with prayer and petition, with thanksgiving and His peace will guard your hearts and minds.

In My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers has written – “God does not speak to man through his ears but through his circumstances.” Enthusiasm in the now, where the Lord has you, will fill you with His peace. Remember that peace is translated from the Hebrew word, shalom. In its most expressive sense, shalom means, “the positive state of rightness and well-being in the midst of battle.” An enthusiastic warrior will stand firm in battle with his sword (the Word of God) drawn to cut through the devil’s schemes.

Prayer guide: Lord, I thank You for Your Word and for the circumstances I face this day. I confess that I have tried to blast through some circumstances to get to the end result as quick as possible. Forgive me. Help me tune in to You where You have me and rebuke anxious thoughts. I will enthusiastically present requests to You with prayer and petition with thanksgiving. Fill me with the Your Spirit. Grant me strength to stand firm this day and reflect that positive state of rightness and well-being. That is the dad You call me to be and that’s the dad the next generation needs. Amen.

A faithful father enthusiastically reflects a positive state of rightness and well-being.