At 110 years of age, Joshua was able to declare that he and his family had made the choice to follow God (Joshua 24:14-15). It was quite an audacious statement, yet it was true. There were two key components, I believe, that led him to be able to make this bold declaration. He started with himself -- he had determined to walk with God on a consistent basis "as for me." Joshua did not compartmentalize his life, he was the same person in private what he was in public. Secondly, he had determined to influence the heart of his children, not merely their external actions. He took Deuteronomy 6:4-8 to heart and looked for teachable moments in daily activities.
Here are a few resources that might be helpful to you Dads as you raise your children so that you might have a successful home:
The Marks of Manhood: What are the indicators that a boy has become a man? What is the target that we are shooting for when raising sons to become husbands and fathers? Al Mohler lists 13 indicators of manhood. Men, these are also good for us to reflect upon in our own lives. Also for you Dads with daughters, these indicators would make for a good Father-Daughter date once a month to discuss the implications of their quest for a godly husband.
Achieving True Success: How to Build Character As a Family: this is a book with 49 different character traits that can be used for discussion in helping to develop children. This would make for a good discussion at the dinner table, or perhaps even a devotional time. I would encourage you to take the time to look up the biblical principle from Scripture and read the passage as demonstration of God's desire for character. It is my understanding that this is not necessarily a "Christian" book, but that the truths of character are backed up in Scripture. Note: I have given you the link to the Amazon site just for your convenience. I do not receive any remuneration for this promoting this book. I have it on order and it should be arriving either this week or the next.
"She Calls Me Daddy" by Robert Wolgemuth: this is an excellent audio book for those of you who are fathers to girls. It has some insightful tips for raising daughters at all age levels -- from one who has been there. If you would like to borrow this in a CD format, stop by the church office. I haven't found anything quite as helpful for boys, though that hasn't been my main focus. If you have a recommendation, you can leave it in the comments below.
Pastor Dad: Free ebook for Dads which points out the responsibility of being the pastor of your home. You can read it online or download it as a PDF file. It is written by Mark Driscoll. I'm working my way through it as well at this time.
Hope those resources are a helpful starting point. If you have found other resources that you would like to share, you can leave them in the comments section below so that others might profit from your knowledge.
May God grant you His wisdom, grace and joy as you guide your children as a father!
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