Man Of GodSample

Leader of the Leader

The second need for the total, spiritual man is to allow God to lead him. Every child needs a father, and every wife a husband, who gets his daily directions from the Lord. When your family understands that you seek to live in the center of God’s will—and you encourage them to do so as well—your decisions will not be challenged so vigorously or so often. Allowing the Lord to lead you builds your family’s confidence in you as their spiritual leader, and observing your dependence on the Father will help them to depend on Him as well. There’s no finer inheritance you can pass on to your children than to teach them to seek God for everything and obey Him, regardless of the consequences. After all, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight” (Prov. 9:10, ESV).

Children can begin at an early age to talk to the Lord about what they should do with their lives. They should form the habit of asking the Father to help them when they’re young. They should also learn that decisions based on human reasoning are not adequate for spiritual success—God must lead them if they desire fruitful living.

When my children were young and in want or need of something, I would say to them often, “We must wait on the Lord,” or “Let’s wait on that and pray together.” Later, I would follow up with them by asking, “Do you feel like God has said anything to you or shown you how to proceed?” At times, they would answer, “I haven’t heard Him say anything.” I wouldn’t respond with a laugh or scold them in any way. I would simply say, “That’s all right. You may not understand for a while, but God’s in the process of teaching you. If you follow me as I follow the Lord, God can transfer that lesson through me to you.”

Some of the most precious moments in our home were those when we knelt in prayer together, seeking the Father’s mind and direction. It was always exciting to see who would first receive the clear guidance we needed. 

Dad, you can give your children everything else in the world, but if you don’t give them a father who’s accepted Christ as Savior and allow Him to lead you in decisions, attitudes, and actions, you’ll never become the man, husband, and father God wants you to be.