Imagine receiving a windfall from a great uncle that places $1440 in an account every day. The stipulation is that all the money has to be spent that day. If not, the account gets zeroed out at the end of the day and replenished with $1440 the next morning. That is $10,800 a week! How would you manage that money? Would it be well spent?
There are 1440 minutes each day for one to make use of. The TIME account is zeroed out at the end of the day and replenished the next. One cannot get the time back. How are you managing the time allotted? Can you say your time across the day was well spent? Have the areas in which time was spent honored your priorities?
Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. – Ephesians 6:4. Paul understood men. He knew the tendencies to work hard and then come home on fumes, sometimes short-tempered. The encouragement from Paul is to take a deep breath after a long day, before walking in the home. Rebuke the natural giftedness as a Chief Critical Officer and focus on becoming the Chief Encouragement Officer in the lives of your children. Encourage them in the training and instruction of the Lord. Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; … Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, – Deuteronomy 11:18-21. Moses’ words from the Lord conveyed the level of responsibility placed on the shoulders of the father. How time is spent reflects a dad’s priorities and communicates what he has faith in. When an inordinate amount of time is spent at work and other activities away from family, dad may be operating under a secular worldview with faith in the worldly realm. Working hard to provide is part of what dads do but when it distracts from Scriptural responsibilities, kids will catch a secular worldview. The charge is to step into the responsibility of representing the Heavenly Father well in the home. Commit time to read Scripture and pray together as a family and with each child. Schedule regular and extended one-on-one time with your children to invest in their spiritual growth. That is time well spent. Kids will catch what dad has. It is dad’s responsibility to make sure that what he has is what he wants the kids to catch.
Tips for extended one-on-one T I M E:
Prayer guide: Father, thank You for Your word and the instruction it offers. I confess I have allowed myself to get distracted from the Scriptural responsibilities You convey as I spent my time chasing success in this world. Forgive me. I commit to read Scripture daily on my own and as a family. I will pray for and with my bride and children. Help me ensure my time is well spent for all to experience a Biblical worldview in practice in our home. That is the dad You call me to be and that’s the dad my kids need to see. Amen.
A faithful father ensures time is well spent under a Biblical worldview.
