2012 brings with it my 30th wedding anniversary. I was and am blessed with a Godly wife who is a dedicated Christ-follower. God and His Spirit have been with us and protected us, allowing us to journey through life. I am so thankful for His protection and guidance.
My children are now in their late teens and middle twenties, and if it is in God's plan, the day until their journey into marriage is close.
I keep wondering have I been a good a dad? Have I been and am I a good role model to my children? Do I show proper love and honor to my wife?
I am right in the middle of reading the new book from Mark Driscoll, Real Marriage: The Truth About Sex, Friendship, and Life Together. In the book Mark and his wife explore the God authored principles for a healthy marriage. In a chapter just for men, Mark lays out a list of eleven things that every man should be implementing in their home.
I wish someone had communicated these principles to me 31 years ago. I am going to pass them along to my son and my daughter.
1. As the family leader, model humility, honesty, repentance, service, study, and worship. Your life preaches at least as loudly as your words, so teach and model humble godliness by the grace of God.
2. Make sure everyone in your family has a good, age-appropriate Bible that they regularly read. Read the Bible yourself and with them so they are encouraged to read on their own.
3. Make sure you have some basic Bible study tools available for your family in either print or digital form and they learn to use them. If you do not know where to begin, ask your pastor or a godly student of Scripture in your church about things like a good Bible commentary, concordance, dictionary, and atlas.
4. Buy good Christian books for everyone in your family to read. Include Christian biographies among those books.
5. Choose good books that you and your wife can be reading together, including books of the Bible, and discuss what you are learning.
6. If there are Bible-based classes offered in your church, attend with your family.
7. Redeem your commute by listening to good sermons and classes, many of which you can download for free.
8. Have dinner together with your family most nights, and use that time to pray together, keep a journal log of prayer requests for other people, and read a portion of the Bible and talk about it together.
9. Pray for each member of your family every day and let them know you are praying for them.
10. Place a hand on the head of each of your children every day and pray over them. Then kiss them on the head and make sure they often get a loving hug.
11. While either snuggling or holding hands, pray with and for your wife every day and remember to include the reasons you are thankful to God for her that day.
Driscoll, Mark (2012-01-03). Real Marriage: The Truth About Sex, Friendship, and Life Together (p. 63). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.