Culture Maker — the Devotional for Dad'sنموونە

His Culture Makers

Jesus, as the son of our Father in Heaven — gave us a sneak-peek into God's family culture.

The Pharisees were meant to represent God — but their ways were unloving, unkind and unjust.

Then Jesus turned up — and he taught us how to turn up. He showed us how to love and how to lead, doing everything His father in heaven asked Him to do. He represented heaven — on earth, and then He effectively says, 'Ok men, do this, in your homes.'

We see this commission to men, in these verses in Ephesians — but when we read them we typically get stuck on the leading and submitting parts, and forget that He's effectively saying 'Lead like I led and love like I loved.'

These verses are a commission, to us men, to re-create His family culture — inside of ours.

We can sometimes think we need to do His work, in far-off places. Or maybe on a good day, we might think to represent Him at work, which we should — but before we do His work, at work — these verses tell us to start in our homes.

This devotion will remind us of how Jesus had high standards — even higher than the Pharisees, but His load was lighter. It felt light to be around Him, and the way it felt to be around Him, defined His family culture.

It's the same for us men. How it feels to be around us is what our family culture feels like, for our partner and kids.

You could get a sense of what your family culture feels like, by creating an imaginary list of words, your partner and kids might use, to describe what it's like, to be around you.

If they were to create that list, just a small list of 1-3 words, what would be on it?

That imaginary list — describes your family culture.

Take that list to prayer. Ask Him to help you create an even healthier culture, at your home.