Are you the man, husband and father the next generation needs to see? Is there a standard of reference that you are working to emulate as the leader in your home? Or is the present-day culture having more of an influence than you would like to admit, encouraging a ‘go along to get along’ mentality?

Spiritual leadership is happening in every home. The question is, what spirit is influencing the leadership? Even fathers that lead the way to church on Sundays are more often than not, leading under the influence of a secular spirit by their example Monday through Saturday. The devil gladly cedes a couple of hours on Sunday when he has control over the other 166 hours of the week. The charge is to lead spiritually as Josiah led, by living under the word of God.

Then the king called together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. He went up to the temple of the Lord with the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests and the Levites – all the people from the least to the greatest. He read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which had been found in the temple of the Lord. The king stood by his pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord – to follow the Lord and keep His commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, and to obey the words of the covenant written in this book.  – 2Chron. 34:29-31. Upon conviction of the type of spiritual leadership he was practicing and the status quo of his nation, Josiah set out to communicate God’s word clearly. The way to communicate God’s word is to read God’s word. Then all the people pledged themselves to the covenant. – 2Kings 23:3. All were charged to obey the word of God and live into the covenant relationship they committed to. The old adage, easier said than done, comes to mind. Kids do not always listen to what is said, but they always watch what is done. It is the day-to-day example that sets the spiritual tone for the next generation.

One man, one marriage and one family at a time, faithful fathers can set the right spiritual tone for the next generation to follow - A spiritual tone not of this world but under the word of God.
Tips to be a Josiah dad:

• Establish the personal discipline to spend time in Scripture and prayer daily;
• Initiate a habit of praying together with your bride daily;
• Initiate a habit of praying together with the kids every night;
• Encourage age-appropriate dialogue around cultural norms and introduce a spiritual perspective to the discussion time;
• Lead your family by living under the word of God.

Prayer guide: Father, thank You for Your word and for the example of Josiah. I confess that I have led my family secularly by my example. My focus has been on success to the point that status and money became idols. Forgive me. As with Josiah, I was living under the status quo of the world doing what I thought I was to do when You made it clear that my priorities were all discombobulated. Thank You. Your word provides perfect clarity for how a man is to live and lead in this world. Grant me strength to emulate Josiah’s standard for leadership and live under Your word better today than yesterday. That is the dad You call me to be and that’s the dad the next generation needs to see. Amen.

A faithful father leads by living under the word of God.