Set Free to Choose Right by Josh McDowell

Author:Josh McDowell [McDowell, Josh]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781683226734
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2018-03-16T04:00:00+00:00

Dear Kelly, I sure love you. I count it such a joy to be your dad, but you know, I’m going to need your help this year. I’ve never been the father of a seven-year-old daughter before. I just want to be the best dad I can be to you. And if you ever feel that I’m not doing right or not being fair, or loving and considerate, please tell me.

When Sean turned seven, I did the same thing with him. In fact, I’ve done it with all four of the children. My efforts toward family accountability have paid off in spades; my wife and kids have become my best counselors.

Sometimes their critiques stung, and I got defensive. Each time I became defensive, however, it only caused them to clam up—and I lost a great source of insight and help. This taught me a highly valued lesson: although there were moments when I had to swallow my pride in such big chunks it almost choked me, I forced myself to digest the bitter meal because I knew I couldn’t get along without their help.

When we as parents and gatekeepers become vulnerable and real and admit that we struggle too, we become a powerful model to our kids. We don’t need to be perfect models, just authentic models. The apostle Paul understood being authentic. He told the Christians in Corinth that he’d had many spiritual experiences he could boast about. But he said, “I won’t do it. I don’t want anyone to think more highly of me than what they can actually see in my life and my message” (2 Corinthians 12:6 NLT).

In using his own life as a model for others to follow, Paul was not lowering the standard of Christlike living. In fact, he told the Corinthians, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1 NIV). His goal was to be an authentic model of Christlikeness. This didn’t mean he should put on a mask or try to position himself as a perfect leader. It meant being authentic and not hiding the fact that he had weaknesses. He admitted:

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