“And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” – Ephesians 6:4
I am a very passionate person by nature. If I do something, I typically put my all into it. Two of my many passions are sports and connecting with people. In our technological world of satellite TV, mobile streaming, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and now Periscope, it is very easy to pursue these passions. It can also be extremely easy to get lost in the tornado of social networking and constant information via some form of a digital screen. This is where you and I must be careful. Although there are actual people behind those avatar’s and profile pictures, there are real people in our daily lives that need our attention.
After a long day at work, I often desire to go home, have dinner, and then relax on the couch while watching a sporting event. However, in order for me to be the husband and father I must be, I often have to say no to what I want. My daughter doesn’t understand how exhausted I am. She just understands that she hasn’t seen her daddy all day long. She seeks my attention. She desires my time and interaction. My wife, after communicating with a child all day, longs for adult conversation. It would be wrong for me to come home and selfishly glue myself to the football game or SportsCenter.
There are a lot of things in our lives that are not inherently wrong, in and of themselves. These are passions and desires that we have either been given or acquired. What you and I must comprehend is that there are certain things that are more important than others. As important as I think the Seahawks or the Clippers are, my family is way more important. I know this sounds basic, but I often have to remind myself of this reality. I will only have so much time to influence my daughter. I will only have a few years to spend with her. I must ignore the Facebook notifications, the prompting from Periscope that someone is live, and the Top Ten plays that night on ESPN in order to impact the life of my child.
You and I all have the same amount of time. It is the one resource that our children need the most. What will you say “no” to today, in order to say “yes” to your family?
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