Living Life with the End in Mind

Shortly after Trish was released from the hospital after giving birth to our twins she had a severe infection and had to be readmitted to the hospital for a number of days.

Because Trish was in the hospital I had to take the twins to their first check-up. I came into the clinic with both car seats one in each hand. The place was full of women and their faces lit up as I walked in.

One of them blurted out ”How often do we see a Dad carrying two little babies?”
Every female eye in the place was on me. They started asking me all kinds of questions like “Where is the mother?” “Are you on holidays? “

And finally at then end someone said “It is so neat to see this, we should take a picture.”

They were so impressed one lady even ran to get the door for me when I left.

The didn’t know how overwhelmed I was feeling. Not one little girl but three beautiful little girls.

It was the twins 4th birthday on June 4th and we had a birthday party last Sunday. I was busy taking pictures, leading a scavenger hunt. It was a blur of activity. All their little friends talking at once.

Ross Elementary where Breanna attends held a special event for parents in the middle of the Friday of last week. 

I was sitting in a full of women. There was three other men there and about 50 women.

After the program they invited us into another room and they served us strawberry shortcake with whipping cream. And there I was with a piece of strawberry shortcake in front of me surrounded by women looking at Epicure spice catalogs.

The twins were very pleased that I was present at their party and Breanna was tickled that I would take the time out of her day to see her perform.

After I went to see her, surrounded by her friends, eating their lunches together. A little boy said to her as I was leaving, “Breanna, your daddy looks cool.”

I was overwhelmed again by how much of a difference my presence makes to the girls.

What a responsibility we carry as fathers.

The hearts of our children are turned towards us.

Listen to the words of the angel Gabriel, in Luke 1:17, announcing that part of John the Baptist’s mission in making people ready for Jesus was “to turn the hearts of Fathers to their children.”

This is a perpetual result of Jesus’ saving work.

When a father truly gives his heart to God his heart is turned to his children.

This is the new birth made possible through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

This is the grace of God at work in a man’s life.

What I want to share this morning applies to all of us but I want to address it to fathers.

Three things, from 1 Peter 1:13, I want to challenge Fathers with this morning. Three things we are called to do in light of the grace extended to each of us by God in Jesus Christ.

Read: 1 Peter 1:13
	
Fathers there are three things we must do to keep our hearts turned toward our children.

1] prepare your minds for action; KJV gird up the loins of your mind

Fathers many of us are running too hard. We are over-committed. 

Men, how many of you become irritable with your children when fatigued? 

We have the tendency as men to be physically present in our homes but mentally and emotionally distracted by thoughts of work or hobbies and recreation.

Based on her studies of human civilizations, famed anthropologist Margaret Mead wrote that "every known human society rests firmly on the learned nurturing behavior of men." “Men”, she wrote, “are prone toward irresponsibility, and a culture must create social structures that encourage, train, and even force them to take responsibility for their children.”
Peter says “prepare your minds for action;” KJV “gird up the loins of your mind”

The image in our minds is that of a farmer, a soldier, or an athlete pulling up their garments and tucking them into their girdle or belt so that they would be ready for action.

Peter is saying to us is that we need to be intentional about working hard at ,ridding our minds, and keeping our minds, from anything that might make us slow in our obedience to God. 
Lowell D. Streiker  “What are the primary tasks of being a father? And how should we perform them? Fathers protect. Fathers teach. Fathers model. Fathers instill values. Fathers empower (or disempower), and Fathers are a child’s point of contact with the wider world. In particular, a father is essential for the development of his children’s sense of values. In simplest terms: No dad, no conscience.”

We cannot model to our children Godly values if we are gone all the time or exhausted all the time.
Fathers we must prepare our minds for action. Are we ready to be obedient to God in our homes and sacrificing time and energy for the sake of our children that we might model for them Godly values?

Men, we need to slow things down. We must find ways to be at home and not mentally exhausted.

Driving Breanna to school Friday morning I asked her the question: “What do you think is the most important thing in daddy’s life?”

Now, at 6 years old, I think she was giving me the “correct” answer she said “Jesus” and I pray that in future as she matures this will continue to be her answer as she watches me live.

I want her to value above all else knowing Jesus Christ and becoming more like Him.  

#1 value must be Jesus Christ. Knowing Jesus Christ. Serving Jesus Christ. 

Men, we must prepare our minds for action our hearts remain turned to our children and that we model a passionate relationship with Jesus Christ.

2] Be self-controlled; KJV be sober. Literally it means to be free from the influence of intoxicants.
	
In other words we must not let outward things influence and control our minds. The influence and control must come from within ourselves. 

We must do all things in moderation so that they do not, as one commentator 
said “hinder spiritual exertion and lower the tone of the spirit.”

The words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:23-24 ring so clearly and relevantly for me on this: "Everything is permissible"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"—but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.”

I raced in my last Test of Metal mountain bike race yesterday, at least the last one in the foreseeable future. 

All the effort and energy I put into training is permissible but not beneficial for my family, not constructive. I must not merely seek my own good but the good of my family.

Ephesians 6:4 “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”

I do not want to exasperate them by more time away, but rather teach them by example what is of eternal value in life.

Fathers, it is a challenge to keep our hobbies, recreation, and other pursuits from mastering us and causing us to cheat on time spent with our families. 

Fathers, it is a challenge for not to completely spend ourselves, mentally, physically, and emotionally in our work and careers. Yes we are the breadwinners, but we are also the protectors and spiritual leaders in our homes.

We must not spend ourselves on breadwinning that we have nothing left for really, the most important which is the spiritual.

I challenge each of us to do an honest assessment of where our time is going and what this says about our values. Then we have to go the additional step and ask, "Is this what I want to teach my child to value; is this what really matters?"

This sets us up well for the next point:

3] Fathers this is so key: “…set your hope fully on [success at work, recognition in the marketplace, pleasure of recreation] the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.

KJV: “hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ”

As one commentator said:
The light from stars may take centuries to reach us, but all the while is speeding through space towards us. So that day when Jesus Christ is revealed is coming steadily nearer, as if some star, at first a point the distance, should take motion towards us and at  last pour all its splendor on our eyes.

That great day when our salvation will be perfected is nearer now then when we first believed and it is advancing closer every day.

Paul says in Colossians 1 that faith and love spring from the hope that is stored up for us in heaven.

We must set our hopes completely,fully, on the grace that will be given to us and we do this by setting our minds or disciplining our minds to hope in Jesus Christ.

We need to live a simple life. As it says in Heb. 12 throwing off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and become aware of the spiritual world around us.

We need to become aware and sensitive towards anything that dulls our senses spiritually, that disconnects us from our Father, or that drains our spiritual energy and passion. 

We need to be motivated by our final destination of eternal life yet focused on daily living in such a way that our lives will bring a reward for us in eternity.

We need to be in-tune to every initiative of God in our lives and ready to adjust immediately.

We need to be spiritually alive and vibrant exercising and growing in our salvation not taking it for granted and becoming lethargic and lazy.
ERMA BOMBECK IN HER USUAL HUMOROUS WAY WROTE THE FOLLOWING ABOUT FATHERS, "WHEN I WAS KID A FATHER WAS LIKE A LIGHT IN THE REFRIGERATOR. EVERY BODY’S HOUSE HAD ONE BUT NO ONE REALLY KNEW WHAT EITHER DID WHEN THE DOOR WAS SHUT."
Research has revealed that if a child is the first person in a household to become a Christian, there is a 3.5 percent probability that everyone else in the household will become Christians. Not very high at all. If the mother is the first to accept Christ, the percent goes up and 17 percent of the homes will see the remainder of its members trust Christ. But if the father is first, there is a 93 percent probability that everyone else in the household will follow. When father goes first spiritually, good things happen at home.
Men, Fathers, we must hope in Jesus Christ.

Conclusion:
On family life today this past week the story was told of a father who had on his desk a jar of marbles. The number of marbles in the far equaled the number of weekends he had left with his 14 year old son and every Friday as he left his office he would take one more marble out of the jar.

I am reminded of verses in Ephesians 5:15-16 “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”

Fathers, our weekends are opportunities to spend extended time with our children. Let’s make the most of them.

Fathers listen, if we are not spending time with them how do they entertain themselves?

They spend time watching T.V., or surfing the net, playing video games and learning the world’s values.

You here of people who have shared their end of life regrets. “If only I had not worked so much.” “If only I had taken more time with my family.” “If only I had been more involved with the kids when they were young.” 

What are the regrets you would have today if you were to die tomorrow? Deal with death bed regrets today. Do what you know you are to do.

“…prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

Ask fathers to stand and pray for them.