Cut Him Some Slack

The movies make him out to be stupid. TV shows show him as incompetent. Even music pokes fun at him. "Who is this?" You ask? It's Dad. It's your husband. Sure, sometimes it's innocent prodding. We even hear other dad's making fun of themselves. In the recent movie, "Mom's Night Out" (which we saw on our date night and both LOVED), but even this movie made fun of "Dad", his choices and how he did things as a father (because who takes an entourage of kids to an arcade with just himself and a tattooed muscle friend?!) Nonetheless…. I'd like to talk about Dad. 

From the birth of our children, mom's have this innate sense to nurture. Often the crying of our baby isn't "screeching on a chalkboard" kind of noise, but it is noise that we say, "I can help." The moment we pick up our baby, the crying calms. Nurturing is innate. As our children grow, we build up a tolerance to, "Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom." We build up a tolerance that there are 1, 2, or 3 kids all wanting something different from us at the same time and we can only do ONE thing at a time. But we do it, knowing there is a pecking order to our completion, each child will get answered…. in time. 

Husbands, dads, they have innate things built within them too. They have an innate sense to want to provide. They have a desire to provide. They have a desire to conquer, to move the family forward, to win for their wife. The constant internal need to provide what their family deserves, what they believe their wife deserves. He desires to take you on the trip you want to go on. He desires to pay the mortgage without you being stressed. He desires to get you in that house that you have always dreamed.

He is not stupid. He is not incompetent. Just the opposite. God has created him to WIN for YOU and for the Kingdom of God. 

He comes home and…. 

• He tries to unwind and turn off the corporate emails and conference calls ringing in his head. Cut him some slack.
• He is trying to forget that last customer that he just got yelled at. Cut him some slack.
• He is trying to measure up to all the expectations put on him from the recent conversation with his boss. He is after all, the provider of the family. Cut him some slack.
• He is trying to do his best to handle and grow the millions of dollars in his portfolio of business. Cut him some slack.
• He is thinking about the family finances, and how he can get you ahead. How he can save to take you on the trip that he knows you would love. Cut him some slack.
• He's thinking about the new vehicle that you need and how he can make it happen. Cut him some slack.
• He's trying to be a good husband and do the things he knows you want him to do, like dishes or mow the lawn or change the lightbulb in the garage or take out the trash or even just give you a break. He can tell you're exhausted. Cut him some slack.
• He's trying to be a great dad and play with the kids even when he's tired. Cut him some slack.
• And…. he's trying to pursue God. He's trying to make sure He is on the right path to be an impact for the Kingdom of God. Cut him some slack.

Ladies… I definitely am not perfect in this area. There are nights when my husband comes in the door, looks at me, and with that one look he can tell I am up to my ears with kids. I'm not always perfect in putting on my "Leave it to Beaver"-wife smile, my apron on, and dinner warm and sitting on the table ready when he walks in. I'm not perfect either.

Find out from him! Does he need some space when he gets home to unwind? 30 minutes? An hour? Maybe it's worth a discussion (when you both aren't tapped out and exhausted) to find out what he needs (and what you need), so when he is home with the family, he can be at his best. That might mean you, having an activity for the kids to be occupied for the first 30 minutes after dad gets home? 

With Father's day coming up… Cut him some slack. Not only does he love you and the kids, but he's doing the best he can to be the best he knows to be. 

We love you Dad! You are worthy. We respect you. And we think you are doing a great job! God has great plans for you Dad! 

1 Timothy 5:8  

But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

1 Corinthians 11:3 

But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.

#167 - Because of HIS delight...

What a beautiful day to be alive! We serve a God who is ALIVE, not only is His Word alive & active, like a two-edged sword, but HE IS ALIVE! Jesus is no longer in the grave, he's no longer on the cross, HE HAS RISEN! He is alive and well STILL sitting at the right-hand of our Father! Isn't that good news! That is worth being excited about. I believe you will be encouraged today. If you need encouragement, if you need hope, I believe you are in the right place. Let's get into the Word.

2 Samuel 22: 1a, 2, 20b, 21, 32-33,  - DAVID SPOKE to the Lord...The Lord is my Rock (of escape from Saul) and my Fortress (in the wilderness) and my Deliverer... He delivered me because He delighted in me. ²¹The Lord rewarded me according to my uprightness with Him; He compensated and benefited me according to the cleanness of my hands. For who is God but the Lord? And who is a Rock except our God? ³³God is my strong Fortress; He guides the blameless in His way and sets him free. For You girded me with strength for the battle!

Man! What an amazing chapter! 2 Samuel 22 just blessed me this morning! So many verses, which to choose?!?!

For starters, look at how the chapter starts.... even David, who has been anointed to be the future King, it says that DAVID SPOKE to the Lord. As a quick tangent, we look back at the life of King Saul & David. From the day the people began to sing "Saul has Slain thousands, David tens of thousands." It says in 1 Samuel 18 that from that day Saul was angry & jealous towards David. It goes on to say, "THE NEXT DAY" an evil spirit came upon Saul. Wow! Because of Saul's anger & jealousy he held toward David "out-doing" him, from that day forward, an evil spirit was upon him! The POWER of offense can change a persons life! And for Saul, He went to his death holding offense against David, in hot pursuit to have him killed. But DAVID was delivered because the LORD delighted in Him!

Anyways... that was a freebie... let's move on.... David SPOKE to the Lord. He is reminding God of how He helped David escape from Saul, He delivered David! David is recounting the goodness, the blessings, the benefits of God his Father! Then my favorite line.... He delivered me because He delighted in me.  Wow! What delight just to read that! Just think about it, because of the Lord's pleasure and delight in YOU, His child, he delivers you from your TRIALS, your enemy... maybe it's debt, whatever it is.... because of HIS delight, He delivers you! That's exciting. In verse 21 it goes on to use some words that are exciting to me.... rewarded, compensated, benefited. By staying in right-standing, in a "seeking position" with our Father, in a "pleasing/serving" position with our Father, we can receive the benefits that He has in store. And it is a DELIGHT to Him to deliver us, and bring us into benefits!


Ultimately.... as we enter in to our day, whether completing a battle or entering into one, we can take JOY in knowing that we have been GIRDED, PREPARED, CLOTHED with strength for whatever we are about to go up against! Like David, killing the lion, the bear & Goliath, He was prepared!

In the last 2 days, I have heard not one, but two stories that make me want to shout! AND, I believe it was because of the Lord's DELIGHT that He chose to lead the events. One friend of mine told me that just this past week, her parents came to town with a new van. It had the remote to open the doors, and the back. It was nice. She said they walked in and handed them the keys. "We have done for the others, and haven't really ever done much for you. Here. We bought this for you. We want you to have it!" Fully paid for, taxes for the next 6 months, tags, insurance! PRAISE THE LORD! What a blessing of the Lord! God is good! The cool thing is, He is NO respecter of persons! What can happen for one, can happen for the next! He can do that for YOU! OR maybe, YOU will be the GIVER! What a joy to have the goal of being able to bless someone in that capacity who is in need. Maybe that is a new goal, to be the one in the position to GIVE! But if you need to receive it! Receive it for yourself! Receive what YOU need from the Lord!

Another awesome story.... a friend of mine was in need of money to get her vehicle fixed. She was without a vehicle! She had to resort to walking her kids to school, or where ever they needed to go. Well, wouldn't you know it, someone felt led to give her $2500! He just felt like the Lord laid it on his heart to GIVE to her. PRAISE THE LORD! I can only imagine that tears must have welled up in her eyes as she must have said or thought, "THANK YOU LORD! You HAVE heard me!" She was able to get her vehicle fixed!

Another friend was talking about donating plasma to have money to buy groceries. If she donated twice a week, she could get enough money to get groceries, with a little left over. Plasma! Needles! And that is definitely a viable way to get some extra cash when needed, but PRAISE GOD, our God even has MORE THAN ENOUGH for her! He has MORE THAN ENOUGH to provide for her needs, her husband and her small children! GOD has MORE THAN ENOUGH! And BECAUSE of HIS delight, we can walk in HIS favor, HIS blessing, HIS rewards, HIS abundance, HIS benefits!

Pray this morning! Maybe you are the "more than enough" that God wants to use to bless someone. And  maybe you are on the "need" side. KNOW that as you seek the Lord, delight yourself in Him, HE will delight in you! He will lead you, He will guide you, He will show Himself strong in being YOUR Jehovah Jirah, God YOUR Provider! You have been girded up and made ready for battle. And with GOD on your side, is there a chance you will loose? NO!