My children are different. I love them equally, but I father them differently. Mario is definitely different from Luigi. They are both very different from Princess Toadstool (sorry, don’t have that costume just yet).
I discipline differently. While certain techniques I use might be the same, each one has to be corrected differently to get their attention. They each are gifted in certain areas that are different than the others. I can’t use the same approach on each child. And each child doesn’t need the same things as the others.
I know what God desires of me as a father. What he expects of any of you as parents. He wants us to put away childish things. He desires us to man up.
Knowing God’s expectations is one thing — applying them is something completely different.
In the space below, I’ve created a list that I’ve started thinking through for every member in my household. I desire to make some resolutions concerning the closest people in my life. You can too.
If you are married, your spouse gets spot #1 (regardless of your current marriage satisfaction). If you have any children, list them in the following spots, oldest to youngest. If you have neither, fill the spaces with the people closest in your life with whom you can impact.
With each person listed, make one specific action step for each of the categories listed below.
#1. I resolve to be all that God has called me to be for __________________’s sake.
(Person’s Name)
I will take responsibility for him/her by:
I need to do this more often because it shows him/her love:
I need to protect him/her from:
I need to serve him/her this week practically by:
I need to teach him/her this biblical truth:
#2. I resolve to be all that God has called me to be for __________________’s sake.
(Person’s Name)
I will take responsibility for him/her by:
I need to do this more often because it shows him/her love:
I need to protect him/her from:
I need to serve him/her this week practically by:
I need to teach him/her this biblical truth:
#3. I resolve to be all that God has called me to be for __________________’s sake.
(Person’s Name)
I will take responsibility for him/her by:
I need to do this more often because it shows him/her love:
I need to protect him/her from:
I need to serve him/her this week practically by:
I need to teach him/her this biblical truth:
#4. I resolve to be all that God has called me to be for __________________’s sake.
(Person’s Name)
I will take responsibility for him/her by:
I need to do this more often because it shows him/her love:
I need to protect him/her from:
I need to serve him/her this week practically by:
I need to teach him/her this biblical truth:
Etc.
PRAYER
Take time to pray over each of these people in this list. Commit to putting these resolutions into practice realizing that your family won’t change on accident.
Travis Agnew serves as the Lead Pastor of Rocky Creek Church in Greenville, SC. His most recent book is Just (About) Married.
