Survival Gear for DadsSample

Day 4 

Tool 4: Build Relationships

The godly dad knows that building relationships is a key tool in his pack. You must get this right, or you risk being alone and vulnerable to attack—right where Satan wants you.

Relationships matter because you’re not built to go through this life alone. Forces are waging war against you. For you to build relationships well, you’ll need to head some relationship killers off at the pass. You’ll need to kill pride. 

Getting stronger at relationships usually starts with being less focused on ourselves. One way to do this, ask other men better questions. Ask things like, “What are your kids into these days?” or “What have you read lately that’s been helpful?”

For your kids, it means asking questions like

• “What’s one thing that happened in school today that was surprising?” 
• “What was the highlight of your week?” 

Now, when you do this, you’ll get a “Meh, my day stunk…” answer most days. But, it’ll spur your kids to think. And, they’ll start talking about something that happened. That’s your cue to listen. 

Building relationships is important. Knowing questions that spark better conversations is one good way to get better at building relationships. But for now, remember Proverbs 20:5, “The purpose in a man's heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.”

It’s not hard. Ask a question. Listen closely. Then, ask another question. Are you a good question-asker?