This is so good. I honor your transparency and accountability, and like you, it's the "manages his home well" that cuts most for me. It's easy to say "kids will be kids" in an attempt to free ourselves from complete responsibility for their conduct, but that is the easy way out. God holds us to a higher standard.
Yeah, I’ve often thought about the tension between my responsibility for their beliefs and behaviors vs their own. It would be easier to figure out if the passage had some kind of qualifier with it. Like, “…see to it that your children who are 18 and under are respectful…” or something like that, but it doesn’t. I guess it just raises the stakes for how we raise them when they’re young, not in an authoritarian way, but in a loving, gentle way that’s also firm when needed. It’s quite the balancing act.
Agreed. I think the standard might be the degree to which we can say we truly did our best. That we made every effort to bring them up in the knowledge of the Lord—and to help them cultivate their own relationship with Him.
It’s funny when you read something that hits at the perfect time when you’re searching to be something more and serve Christ.
For me, this has been pretty hard.
Fighting old habits, but listening to what I know is a force and even sometimes a very welcome voice, that is showing me over and over what he wants me to do.
It’s fairly astonishing, actually.
Tim, thank you so much for sharing what you are doing.
Glad it’s helpful. It’s good for me to wrestle out loud about this stuff, too, and hear that others are wrestling with the same things. One step at a time, Bob!
Thanks Tim, I appreciate hearing about how you are leading your family. If I’m honest, I feel quite overwhelmed that I’m no where near where I want to be….
This is in many areas where I feel like I’m not leading well. And feel quite frustrated tbh.
A few goals for the year:
1. Marriage counseling
2. Financial coaching/course
3. Complete a fathering course
4. Read more books on family - parenting, marriage etc.
Ps. I do find decision making very difficult at times. Indecision is one of my worst traits. I’d like to hear how you will consider being led by the Holy Spirit in that decision making.
That’s a pretty big list! I hope you’re able to tackle it all. For us, we tackled one thing at a time over the course of the past 15 years or so. The end state you envision is one skill acquisition at a time over time. You’re not less of a man or a leader if it takes you 15 years vs 1 year. Progress > Perfection. It’ll be a lifelong journey anyway.
Yeah last year was teaching our daughter to sleep. We got there. It’s hard to focus on one thing when you feel like several need changing as they affect your life so much. We’re 4 years into parenting and 6 years into marriage. I know it takes time but it truly is hard!
Awesome job, Tim. Those habits you are teaching your children are amazing. So many times, I will go to tuck my kids in and my 8 year old will be reading his Bible. Sometimes it's just because he wants to stay up a little longer, and he knows that I won't say no to the Bible. lol. Keep it up!
This is so good. I honor your transparency and accountability, and like you, it's the "manages his home well" that cuts most for me. It's easy to say "kids will be kids" in an attempt to free ourselves from complete responsibility for their conduct, but that is the easy way out. God holds us to a higher standard.
Yeah, I’ve often thought about the tension between my responsibility for their beliefs and behaviors vs their own. It would be easier to figure out if the passage had some kind of qualifier with it. Like, “…see to it that your children who are 18 and under are respectful…” or something like that, but it doesn’t. I guess it just raises the stakes for how we raise them when they’re young, not in an authoritarian way, but in a loving, gentle way that’s also firm when needed. It’s quite the balancing act.
Agreed. I think the standard might be the degree to which we can say we truly did our best. That we made every effort to bring them up in the knowledge of the Lord—and to help them cultivate their own relationship with Him.
It’s funny when you read something that hits at the perfect time when you’re searching to be something more and serve Christ.
For me, this has been pretty hard.
Fighting old habits, but listening to what I know is a force and even sometimes a very welcome voice, that is showing me over and over what he wants me to do.
It’s fairly astonishing, actually.
Tim, thank you so much for sharing what you are doing.
It’s incredibly helpful and inspirational to me.
Glad it’s helpful. It’s good for me to wrestle out loud about this stuff, too, and hear that others are wrestling with the same things. One step at a time, Bob!
Thanks Tim, I appreciate hearing about how you are leading your family. If I’m honest, I feel quite overwhelmed that I’m no where near where I want to be….
This is in many areas where I feel like I’m not leading well. And feel quite frustrated tbh.
A few goals for the year:
1. Marriage counseling
2. Financial coaching/course
3. Complete a fathering course
4. Read more books on family - parenting, marriage etc.
Ps. I do find decision making very difficult at times. Indecision is one of my worst traits. I’d like to hear how you will consider being led by the Holy Spirit in that decision making.
That’s a pretty big list! I hope you’re able to tackle it all. For us, we tackled one thing at a time over the course of the past 15 years or so. The end state you envision is one skill acquisition at a time over time. You’re not less of a man or a leader if it takes you 15 years vs 1 year. Progress > Perfection. It’ll be a lifelong journey anyway.
Yeah last year was teaching our daughter to sleep. We got there. It’s hard to focus on one thing when you feel like several need changing as they affect your life so much. We’re 4 years into parenting and 6 years into marriage. I know it takes time but it truly is hard!
Awesome job, Tim. Those habits you are teaching your children are amazing. So many times, I will go to tuck my kids in and my 8 year old will be reading his Bible. Sometimes it's just because he wants to stay up a little longer, and he knows that I won't say no to the Bible. lol. Keep it up!
Smart kid! haha