May 14, 2012 … Leaders and Fathers

Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: 2nd Samuel, Chapters 13-15 … To study these chapters, go to this link - 
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Highlight Passage : 2nd Samuel 15: 5-6 … 5 Also, whenever anyone approached him to bow down before him, Absalom would reach out his hand, take hold of him and kiss him. 6 Absalom behaved in this way toward all the Israelites who came to the king asking for justice, and so he stole the hearts of the people of Israel.
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My Journal for Today: Reading through the chronological chapters which my reading plan has led me into this day, Chapters 13-15 of 2nd Samuel, one is impressed with the family turmoil within David’s family. We know that over the long haul of history and in the renown of Jewish history, David is consider one of her greatest leaders and kings. However, when you examine and put a microscope of analysis on David’s life as a parent over this same long haul of history, we see that there are a number of foibles and failures, … not the least of which is how he parented and fathered sons like Absalom. And in today’s highlight passage (see above) we see the result of David’s parenting of Absalom actually resulted in his son plotting to undermine David’s authority as king.

The upshot of all of this is the reality that being successful as a business, career, or political leader does not make one a successful husband, father, or family man in God’s eyes. I don’t think I’ll have to write in depth or any length about what I relearned from today’s reading about David’s family life. In a nutshell … David’s parenting and life as a husband/father sucked [as the kids would say these days] !!

Just because David was a great king in Israel did not make him a great family man; and the result of David’s poor leadership in his own household, his son, Absalom, becomes the son every father would consider a nightmare. So, if you’re a father and reading this, and you still have sons (or daughters) in their formative years, I pray that you’ll realize what David apparently didn’t … that he first exercise of Godly leadership should have been in the home; … and then the leadership of others, outside the home – as in one’s professional, business, or political career – should have been David’s secondary priority of Godly leadership.

David apparently did fine over history in his extra-family leadership; but in his own home, he simply didn’t lead well as a father; and Absalom became one of the measures of that failure. I pray today that those of us who have experienced a measure of success in our worldly careers have been the Godly leaders in our homes that we should have been. In God’s eyes and in His economy of our time spent on this earth, being a leader in the family is priority #1 when it comes to time devoted to life’s endeavors. Then being a leader in the world can be exercised well as to our glorifying God with our time. That is why in God’s church, in these New Covenant times, leadership in the home is considered to be a priority criteria when one is considered to be a leader in the church, such as an Elder, Bishop, or Pastor. One can read the biblical criteria for church leadership spelled out in 1st Timothy 3: 1-7, where one can see that the God, through the Apostle Paul, delineated that a man should not be considered for church eldership or pastoral leadership if he has been a failure as a father. So, what goes for church leaders should go as well for any Christian parent in leadership in the home as well.

Being an Elder and a ministry leader in my church, I have been called upon a number of times to evaluate candidates for church ministry; and I’ve learned that looking at the fatherhood of such a candidate becomes one of the most salient ways to judge that candidate’s leadership potential as a church leader. As fatherhood in the home goes, so the leadership potential of a church leader can likely be predicted.

So, if you’re reading this and you’re a younger father with young children, it would be wise to see that your ministry and leadership in the home should be prioritized over one’s time and talent investment in your extra-family career.

 And I believe that’s the primary, and very important, conclusion and application from my Bible reading today.

My Prayer Today: … Heavenly Father, I thank You for helping me through those formative years of our parenting of two daughters, both of whom have become devoted Christian wives, raising Christian kids the right way – Your way – in my later years. My gratitude is overwhelming this day. Amen