Thoughts
on Michael Wells’ teachings in My Weakness for His Strength - # 190
Michael’s book is
available through:
Abiding Life Ministries
International
Littleton, Colorado
Notice: this email is part of a
BLOG, called Living Life With a Capital “C”. Why a
blog? So that many can receive these thoughts
in an easy manner.
Father’s
Day is this coming Sunday, June 19.
There is a great need for biblical fatherhood in this day and time. It seems incredible that media messages could
overshadow biblical directives, especially concerning leadership in the
family. Is that what has really
happened? Michael draws attention to
something that has been going on since the Garden of Eden…
DAY 92
Fathers
Who Lead
Furthermore,
we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not
much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? –Hebrews 12:9
Throughout history we
can identify some who were born into the position of leadership and others who
were chosen to lead. However, the
Bible indicates that in the family, every man is commanded to lead. The world, by contrast, has
taught that the family is ruled by the wishes of the majority. All types
of media have subtly spread the impression that children should be consulted
before making decisions and that the wife need only submit to the husband if he
is in mutual submission to her. Accepting these diluted definitions of leadership has produced a
generation of Christian fathers who are what might commonly be called passive
dads. The father is not
to rule through consensus; he does not take the counsel of children. Rather, he seeks God for guidance,
which he will find in every situation. Leadership inherently involves followers, who will always
have high expectations of a leader, and rightfully so. When we submit to
a leader we desire that he be better than us, for our identity becomes
intertwined in his. If
we submit to a righteous man, then our self-esteem goes up, we feel good about
being his servant, and we even see the glory of being subjected to him. We
admire and appreciate him as well as desiring his direction, with the hope that
he might lead us to the place where he is, for obviously he knows the way and
is respected for it. When he asks of us things that we do not understand, we
obey, trusting that somehow it will benefit us. Therefore, the two most frustrating things to a
follower about a leader are when he cannot be respected and when he will not
lead.
Yellow – VIP, Very Important Point Green
– IT, Incredible Truth
Red – GP, Greatest Promises
Turquoise – UR, Unfathomable Riches Pink
– PV, Priceless Victory
The words that grab my attention the most in Michael’s writing are
these: “Accepting these diluted definitions of leadership.” Ever since the garden, the devil has been
testing God’s people over and over with the same old question: “Yea, hath God
said…?” Changing the definitions of
critical words simply challenges and changes things God HAS SAID, and God’s
people have allowed biblical directives to fall by the wayside.
This has also enabled the world to teach different and false ideas
(humanism…humanistic philosophy) which have been accepted by default of the
changed definitions. There are even many
Christian leaders who teach false ideas thinking they are biblically
correct. The concept of a “passive dad”
being acceptable in Christianity is unacceptable. The idea that one is not a leader if no one
is following is unacceptable. The man in
a household is THE leader simply because God has said so. Following the man’s leadership is a choice of
obeying God, and not simply choosing to follow his leadership.
Michael points out three crucial issues for Christian husbands and
fathers:
1. GOD says every man is commanded to lead his family.
2.
The man is to live a life so as to be respected.
3.
The man is to BE the leader of his family.
And
Michael points out the beautiful aspects of submitting to a righteous leader.
This
Father’s Day, it is time for a revival among Christian men, to stand up and
lead. Families and churches are crying
out for such.
To access ALL past weekly
blogs, go to Living Life With a Capital
“C” by logging onto www.leemccm.blogspot.com
NOTICE: another blog on
Michael Wells’ book, Sidetracked In The Wilderness, called Getting Out of the
Wilderness. You can access by logging onto
www.leemcchristianministries.blogspot.com
Lee McDowell Christian Ministries
P.O. Box 633244 Nacogdoches, Tx 75963 936-559-5696
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