Daily Power #261

Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand. (Prov. 19:21 ESV)

Our family just returned from a great trip to the beach. We had all four of our kids who live at home and our two married daughters with their husbands. What’s most exciting to me is that they all wanted to be together.

To be honest, this didn’t happen by accident. My good friend and pastor Andy Stanley once talked about what success was to him as a dad. He said he wanted to parent his children so that when they were older they would want to spend time as a family. That was the prize.

If you don’t have kids, then think about what kind of parent you want to be if God opens that door. If you have children, ask yourself, “Am I creating an environment that my children will want to come back to when they don’t have to?”

Amy and I have not been perfect as parents. We have made too many mistakes to count. But at this point, we rejoice knowing that for one week, our whole family wanted to be together. When I texted Andy to tell him thanks, he sent me this exact response: “How blessed you are that your family wants to be together. If you don’t have it at this stage, you can’t get it. Congratulations!”

That’s the prize.

Do something today that will lead you to the prize you want in the future.

Power Lift

Dear God, give me wisdom about how to love my family well and draw us closer together and closer to you. Let me invest in our future together right now.