In honor of St. Joseph, the foster father of Jesus, a message to men:
We are called to greatness. There’s less and less men out there who are actually really great. We fall into the Devil’s intimidations, distractions, and temptations. Here are the three P’s I think we all need to overcome the obstacles of the Enemy.
1. Purpose
We must all know our Why. Know who we are and whose we are. First, we each are a son of God that loves us and is proud of us. Believe it. We are best when we are in service and act for others. Every man needs to know his purpose. I’ve been working on mine. For me, every moment is a chance to “create opportunity for others and myself to encounter Christ together.” My purpose in serving my wife? Help her get to heaven---by listening to her, serving her, praying for her, and doing the dishes :). My daughters? Infuse them with love and discipline, that they always know that they have a father who loves them. That their eyes will continue to shine when they look into mine. These are my Why’s. What’s yours?
2. Prayer
We see less and less men who are steady, firm, and consistent. This type of rock foundation takes habit over time. We see the effects of running every day or hitting the gym frequently, so we must have the same fervor of “getting in reps” of prayer each morning. Let’s wake up and let God show us our blueprint to the day and not the other way around. Ask Jesus questions. Let Him answer. Read scripture. Start with the daily Gospel. If He’s in control, it takes off the weight we put on our own shoulders. Filling up the soul tank, we can give what we receive.
3. Persistence
It’s not about never falling, but getting up each time we do. It’s about looking at failure in the face, leaning on Christ, and standing back up. It’s about having the humility to ask for help. It’s about learning from our setbacks and adjusting our battle plan moving forward. No one goes through life undefeated. So let’s stop fearing failure. When it comes to doing the right thing, we must do before we feel. Strive for excellence at all moments. Surround ourselves around the right people who will support us getting there.
And please, don’t look at me as an example. Look at Christ. He has always come through for me. He will always come through for you. Now let us come through for others. If Christ is the light, we can bring the torch into darkness and can light others on fire. Rock solid men make rock solid husbands and fathers. Rock solid husbands and fathers make rock solid families. Rock solid families positively change communities, churches, and effectively, the world for generations.
Let’s start with ourselves.
Amén.
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| The father I want to be |
We are called to greatness. There’s less and less men out there who are actually really great. We fall into the Devil’s intimidations, distractions, and temptations. Here are the three P’s I think we all need to overcome the obstacles of the Enemy.
1. Purpose
We must all know our Why. Know who we are and whose we are. First, we each are a son of God that loves us and is proud of us. Believe it. We are best when we are in service and act for others. Every man needs to know his purpose. I’ve been working on mine. For me, every moment is a chance to “create opportunity for others and myself to encounter Christ together.” My purpose in serving my wife? Help her get to heaven---by listening to her, serving her, praying for her, and doing the dishes :). My daughters? Infuse them with love and discipline, that they always know that they have a father who loves them. That their eyes will continue to shine when they look into mine. These are my Why’s. What’s yours?
2. Prayer
We see less and less men who are steady, firm, and consistent. This type of rock foundation takes habit over time. We see the effects of running every day or hitting the gym frequently, so we must have the same fervor of “getting in reps” of prayer each morning. Let’s wake up and let God show us our blueprint to the day and not the other way around. Ask Jesus questions. Let Him answer. Read scripture. Start with the daily Gospel. If He’s in control, it takes off the weight we put on our own shoulders. Filling up the soul tank, we can give what we receive.
3. Persistence
It’s not about never falling, but getting up each time we do. It’s about looking at failure in the face, leaning on Christ, and standing back up. It’s about having the humility to ask for help. It’s about learning from our setbacks and adjusting our battle plan moving forward. No one goes through life undefeated. So let’s stop fearing failure. When it comes to doing the right thing, we must do before we feel. Strive for excellence at all moments. Surround ourselves around the right people who will support us getting there.
And please, don’t look at me as an example. Look at Christ. He has always come through for me. He will always come through for you. Now let us come through for others. If Christ is the light, we can bring the torch into darkness and can light others on fire. Rock solid men make rock solid husbands and fathers. Rock solid husbands and fathers make rock solid families. Rock solid families positively change communities, churches, and effectively, the world for generations.
Let’s start with ourselves.
Amén.
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