The Best Defense…

“If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. “But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. “If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Matthew 18:15-17 (NASB)

“The best defense is a good offense” was the favorite saying of heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey. I have heard it used in many situations both in and out of sports. I think it is especially true when it comes to being a father. Fathers are needed for so much more than procreation and money. Fathers teach their children how to deal with the one thing that touches all our lives: interpersonal relationships.

Children learn by watching us. Two of the things they will see will impact them for a lifetime. They see how we relate to others, especially in our family unit, and how we relate to God. It is no coincidence that the way we relate to God determines in large part how we relate to others. When fathers understand this and take the offensive because it can make all the difference in their children.

Ed Sasnett tells the story of… “Victor Hugo, who is famous for his novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame, also so wrote a story called “Ninety-Three.” It tells of a ship caught in a dangerous storm on the high seas. At the height of the storm, the frightened sailors heard a terrible crashing noise below the deck. They knew at once that this new noise came from a cannon, a part of the ship’s cargo, which had broken loose. It was moving back and forth with the swaying of the ship, crashing into the side of the ship with terrible impact. Knowing that it could cause the ship to sink, two brave sailors volunteered to make the dangerous attempt to retie the loose cannon. They knew the danger of a shipwreck from the cannon was greater than the fury of the storm.

That is like human life. Storms of life may blow about us, but it is not these exterior storms that pose the greatest danger. It is the terrible corruption that can exist within us which can overwhelm us. The furious storm outside may be overwhelming but what is going on inside can pose the greater threat to our lives. Our only hope lies in conquering that wild enemy.

We cannot cure the storm that rages within us. It takes the power of God’s love, as revealed in Christ Jesus. It is only as the character of Christ is formed within that we have any hope of stilling the raging tempest that can harm our souls and shipwreck our lives.”

When we teach our children how to navigate these interpersonal relationships, we help them avoid many of the conflicts that shipwreck lives. Fathers are crucial for teaching both in word and deed the importance of following Christ.

Today’s Prayer

Dear Lord,

I thank You for loving me and seeing in me the worth and potential you placed in my life. Please help me to respect others and see their worth and potential as well. Give me a forgiving attitude that I might extend it to others because You have so graciously extended it to me. In Jesus Name, Amen.