Man. Mountain. Missionনমুনা

Leaving Behind a Legacy

There once was a king who had a beautiful daughter, but his kingdom was harassed by a dragon. One day a knight walked into the king’s courts to ask for his daughter’s hand in marriage. The king said yes, on the condition that the knight would slay the dragon. The knight smiled and pitched an alternative, “Have I mentioned that I have a rich inheritance?”

The king did not need more riches, he’s the king. But he wanted a protector for his daughter and his domain. Many men today would rather pitch cosmetic alternatives than strapping in and stepping up to sort out troubles. Many men nowadays would prefer jobs, marriages, and friendships that’s always easy sailing and never require them to do hard things.

Caleb was not willing to give his daughter to such a man. He would only give his daughter to an even better man than himself. The man who would go on to take the cities and conquer the territories he himself could not anymore. Othniel did not only conquer the territory and won his marriage rights, but he was also the first Judge to lead Israel after the deaths of Caleb and Joshua. Othniel took Caleb’s God-given mission with him into the next generation.

Give your daughters to better men! And teach your sons to be even better men!

As men who follow our King Jesus, we are to be stewards of all entrusted to us. He is the ruler; we are the representative. As such, we have two main mission objectives; First, establish God’s reign in our own household; and second, expand His Kingdom in our broader places of influence. It’s that simple… and it’s also that daunting...

You are to be a prophet, king, and priest in your own home. From there you can expand God’s Kingdom towards your friends, your workplace, your community and through involvement at church. But if your home front falls, start ignoring the other calls.

Therefore, be the prophet at home giving guidance from God’s Word to your wife and children.
Be a king, under the authority of the King, that governs his home with truth and love.
Be the priest that guards over your family, standing in the gap for them before God and man.
Be this man to your house. Family is the first mountain that should stand tall in society.
If families fall, society falls short. This starts with being a man that searches after God’s heart, being a husband that serves and leads his wife, and then being a father that prioritizes, protects, and prepares his family in God’s ways. And don’t lead your household where you are not going, or willing to go, yourself.

Now, considering Caleb and Othniel’s story in Joshua 15, there are three important lessons every father needs to teach his sons and daughters respectively:

A daughter needs to learn:

1. Dad loves me no matter what. 2. We'll be mutually honest no matter what. 3. Dad will protect me and teach me to protect myself as well.

A son needs to learn:

1. Dad's proud of me, no matter what. 2. We'll be mutually honest no matter what. 3. Dad will protect me and teach me to protect others as well.

Finally, know this: All authority, all the love, all the truth and guidance you want to convey to your family and friends come down to one thing you cannot exchange or make more of – TIME! If you accept this mission to lead your household like Jesus would, and change the world like only Jesus could, then it will take an intentional, consistent investment of time.

You’ll leave behind a better legacy when time is well spent...