Daddy Gap Preview

Here is the latest from Crosswalk.com. It is an excerpt from the book "The Daddy Gap", which I am co-authoring with Dawn Walker of Single Parent Missions. The book is scheduled for release this fall.

http://www.crosswalk.com/family/parenting/single-parents/vulnerable-single-parent-families-need-the-church-s-protection.html?ps=0

Single Parenting and the Workplace

Here is my latest from Crosswalk.com that speaks to both employed single parents AND Christian bosses who may have single parents working for them:

http://www.crosswalk.com/family/parenting/single-parents/single-parenting-and-the-workplace.html

Facebook and Fathering

Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. –Col 3:20 (NIV)

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. –Eph 6:4 (NASB)

I was recently posed with the question as to whether or not it was right for us to allow our children to have a social media account, such as Facebook. While there are multiple cases I could make for each side, as always, we need to turn to the Lord for answers.

I have read several articles (such as this one: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/22/facebook-study-envy_n_2526549.html) on the correlation between people being on Facebook and experiencing feelings of depression or less self-worth afterwards. In short, we compare ourselves and our lives to what we see online and act out accordingly.

As fathers, one of our number one responsibilities is to instill a strong self-worth and confidence in our children, and to point out the lies and flaws with anything that may inhibit those qualities in them. This is accomplished through our knowledge and passing on of Scripture to our kids and spending quality time with them so they don’t go looking to fill that gap somewhere else. We are also to set firm and realistic boundaries for their protection. If you love and discipline your kids in the same way God does us, then you will have their respect when it comes to topics such as social media usage. If you do not, then you still have the right to petition the Lord on their behalf.

I am not going to make a judgment call for your household. We all understand the risks and dangers that lurk in cyber-world; but I believe an even greater danger is our sons and daughters not having a father who is active in bringing them up in Christ. Seek His guidance today through the Word and prayer and ask Him to lead you when it comes to leading them.

A Life With or Without Christ

But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. –James 1:14-15 (NKJV)

A guy I have known for multiple years passed away this week- the result of suicide. At one point I was very good friends with him, his ex-wife, and their now 16 and 20 year old girls. Although it’s been a while since he and I have spoken, my mind has been wandering as to what brought about this tragedy and why he saw no way out. Here’s some insight:

I knew this man and his ex while they were still married and the girls were young. I watched as the marriage unfolded- a good portion of it to his drinking, violence, and adultery. I am wondering, as the verse above states, if he had become so entangled in sin that it led to his final decision. I recently learned at the visitation that he had made a decision for Christ and was baptized, but sin knows no boundaries and has no mercy. Jesus tells us in John 10:10 that our enemy’s number one goal is to steal, kill, and destroy. “Sin…brings forth death.” (James 1:15)

I am also troubled with another thought: If I had perhaps shared the Gospel with him in years prior, could all of this been avoided? Of course I don’t blame myself for what happened, but as I read Jesus’ parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) today, I was given a very clear picture of just how vital it is for every breathing human being to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ and that it is too late once we leave this world for the next.

With that being said, I encourage all of us to examine ourselves and ask the Lord to bring to the surface anything that is hindering us from witnessing to others (Psalm 26:2). I will continue to pray for this man’s family and their healing, but also for God to keep this fresh in my mind too so I don’t miss another opportunity to save a life- for eternity.

It is for freedom that Christ set us free… -Gal 5:1 (NASB)