In the popular Disney children’s show Lilo and Stitch, an intergalactic alien criminal, Stitch, and a young girl named Lilo find themselves on a series of whirlwind adventures as the two develop a unique bond and come to understand the richness of friendship, kindness, family, and love. As the plot line unfolds, Lilo begins to refer to Stitch as her “ohana,” meaning family. For Lilo, family means that “no one gets left behind or forgotten.” For parent’s in today’s society, ensuring that their children do not get left behind or forgotten spiritually is a tall order. Parents have replaced their God-ordained role of being the primary disciple-maker their child’s life with the desire to ensure their child is happy, healthy, and successful.
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For my public ministry to be a fruitful one, I must invest in the home. Yet if my priorities are out of order, I’ve failed the test before even sharpening my pencil! The only way I can ensure that my children are being trained in the fear of the Lord and understand the importance of knowing and trusting Him is if I am present. I need to be available to my family physically, spiritually, emotionally, and mentally. While the calling of a pastor is a noble one, there is a higher calling, and that is of a father. To see to it that my public ministry is one that is pleasing in God’s sight, I have a fiduciary responsibility to care for my home in a way that is pleasing to …show more content…
Children are called to obey their parents. As a father, I am called not to provoke my children to anger. If they are out of line with their God-given mandate to be obedient, then I must do what is necessary to correct their behavior. How can I be expected to enact church discipline rightly if I fail to disciple my own children? As an extension of grace, God has granted a means of correction for errant behavior that is motivated by love. If I am to be a man of integrity and a minister of the gospel, I must seek to discipline my children, and by doing so make much of Jesus
For my public ministry to be a fruitful one, I must invest in the home. Yet if my priorities are out of order, I’ve failed the test before even sharpening my pencil! The only way I can ensure that my children are being trained in the fear of the Lord and understand the importance of knowing and trusting Him is if I am present. I need to be available to my family physically, spiritually, emotionally, and mentally. While the calling of a pastor is a noble one, there is a higher calling, and that is of a father. To see to it that my public ministry is one that is pleasing in God’s sight, I have a fiduciary responsibility to care for my home in a way that is pleasing to …show more content…
Children are called to obey their parents. As a father, I am called not to provoke my children to anger. If they are out of line with their God-given mandate to be obedient, then I must do what is necessary to correct their behavior. How can I be expected to enact church discipline rightly if I fail to disciple my own children? As an extension of grace, God has granted a means of correction for errant behavior that is motivated by love. If I am to be a man of integrity and a minister of the gospel, I must seek to discipline my children, and by doing so make much of Jesus