From Jim’s Heart—A Dad Feeds His Flock

Putting food on the table for your family is one of your key roles as a father. You would never think of letting your family go hungry for physical food. Others would see your conduct as unthinkable, and God would consider you to be worse than an unbeliever (see 1 Timothy 5:8).

So why should it be any different when it comes to spiritual food? Part of being your family’s spiritual shepherd is providing spiritual food from God’s Word, the Bible. To take this task seriously, find ways to…

• Make sure your children see you reading and studying your Bible. Make Paul’s cry your own: “Imitate me’ just as I also imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1).

 

• Make sure your children read their own Bibles. Remember, a good shepherd “makes” his sheep lie down and feed in green pastures (see Psalm 23:2). When your kids see how important it is to you to read and study your Bible, it will become important to them as well. A shepherd always leads the way.

 

• Make it a practice to have devotions with the whole family. This will reap untold spiritual blessings in the lives of your children. This practice certainly had an influence on the life of Jim Elliot, the great missionary martyr whose commitment to Christ was forged as he participated in regular devotions as a child with his family.

 

• Make sure your children go to church and youth group regularly. Who in your family is to lead the way to faithful church attendance and involvement? Why, you are, Dad, as the leader of your flock!

 

• Make sure you pray. Ask God daily to work through His Word and by His Spirit in your children’s hearts.

Read From Jim’s Heart—A Dad Feeds His Flock on Elizabeth & Jim George.