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Hello Max7 family! Here's a personal story from a fellow max7 user.
We hope you will be encouraged - as you disciple children and youth.
Jane - for the Max7 team.
BEING A DAD
A few weeks ago in Australia, near where I live, a father shot dead his teenage children over a custody battle with his wife. This week I heard the sad news of a friend’s marriage falling apart. The family is under extreme pressure worldwide. Men and fathers, in particular, are getting bad publicity these days and often it is warranted! What positive things can be done to help change this?
I became a dad for the first time at the age of 48. I now am a few years older and have two adopted sons. It’s made me think a lot about parenting and being a father. My own dad was loving, caring, a faithful follower of Jesus and a great husband all of his life. I long to be like that.
I recently came across a little booklet on Max7 that is called Family Active Discipling. It’s free and open-source to share. It points out Mark 1:11 and God the Father’s words to Jesus at his baptism: “You are my son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
When God says these things right at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, it gives an insight into God as a father. God speaks to Jesus in three major areas of his life: His identity (you are my son); His value (you are loved); and in His God-pleasing purpose.
Identity, value and purpose are critical to every man and every boy. My experience is that every man, myself included, struggle with one or more of these three things: sex/pleasure, money and/or power. These are the hooks that Satan uses to tempt men into sin. Immediately after Jesus’ baptism, He spends forty days in the Wilderness and is effectively tempted in these three ways. Maybe the Father knew that Jesus needed to hear the words of Mark 1:11 to be able to overcome Satan in the wilderness in the daily battle every man faces.
Our role as fathers (and mothers) is to help our children understand their identity as God’s precious children. That they are loved by us and by God and in Jesus can be forgiven and restored. That God has a pleasing-purpose for them to serve God and others.
Most problems in men and fathers today probably stem from their own fathers and their fathers before them. It’s going to take a courageous, uncompromising and strong generation of men to break this cycle and be like God our Father. It is hard work being a dad (I’ve discovered!), but it’s worth it to see my boys growing and developing day by day. The little booklet helped me with practical ideas!
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