Leading Your Family

You must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.

Deuteronomy 6:6-7

DR. MEG MEEKER WRITES IN her book Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters about what daughters think about their dads:

She gives you authority because she needs you to love and adore her. She can’t feel good about herself until she knows that you feel good about her. So you need to use your authority carefully and wisely. Your daughter doesn’t want to see you as an equal. She wants you to be her hero, someone who is wiser and steadier and stronger than she is.

The only way you will alienate your daughter in the long term is by losing her respect, failing to lead, or failing to protect her. If you don’t provide for her needs, she will find someone else who will—and that’s when trouble starts. Don’t let that happen.

Our children—daughters and sons—are looking for leadership. They need someone to follow. They may not always act like it, but they do. Sadly, many fathers in our society have run away from their leadership role, and it has left a huge void in families while negatively affecting society at large.

When we live in relationship with our heavenly Father, He provides the grace and courage for us to lead our families well. May we prayerfully lean on Him, learn from Him, and obey Him by stepping up to fulfill our leadership role. Our children will honor us and appreciate our leadership.

BOTTOM LINE

How could you express your leadership in your family in a positive and proactive way today?

Moment of Strength: Ephesians 6:4