‘Now Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, put himself forward and said, “I will be king.” So he got chariots and horses ready, with fifty men to run ahead of him. (His father had never interfered with him by asking, “Why do you behave as you do?”’ 1 Kings 1:5-6 (NIV).
God-fearing men like David were chosen by God to lead nations, but they often failed at being able to lead their own children. In this instance, we are told that King David did not reign in his own son, Adonijah. In fact, his unruly son decided to seize the throne without his father’s knowledge and usurp the leadership of Solomon, whom both God and David had chosen as the next king.
God-fearing leaders cannot take for granted the spiritual well-being of their children. Moral and spiritual character takes years to build and it requires constant attention and patient discipline. Though David served God well as king, he was lacking in the area of giving diligent attention to his role as a father. Children left unchecked, will eventually bring disappointment, if not heartache to their parents, just as Adonijah did.
It is all too easy to let our outside commitments overtake the time and effort we ought to invest in loving and raising our children. Finding a balance is challenging. Yet we cannot neglect family responsibilities at the expense of seeking outside success.
As Paul reminds us in 1 Timothy 3:4-5 those in leadership must ‘manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?’ If a man is not willing to care for, teach and discipline his own children at home how can he have a credible witness as a good leader within the church?
Prayer:
‘Dear God, I have overcommitted myself in other matters at the expense of bringing order and discipline within my home. Help me to refocus my time and energy on what matters most. Father give me the courage and wisdom to say ‘no’ to other demands in order to say ‘yes’ to my family.’
In Jesus’ Mighty Name,
AMEN!
Final Thoughts:
Are our roles within our lives coming before our role as parents within the home? If our children seem unruly, disrespectful and unmanageable it may be time to take stock of where our priorities and energies need to be channeled. God must be glorified in both our church life and in our home life.
Be Greatly Blessed!
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