Fathers, Don’t Miss This

 by Chris Jones

It’s unfortunate that the majority of fathers have fallen into positions of only managing “dad duties”, rather than truly leading their families. We’ve become referees, chauffeurs, babysitters, coaches, repair men, financial managers, judges and juries, chief TV remote operators, master grillers… the list is endless. It all conjures the image of a father as “King of the Castle”. Take caution though. This is no throne you should wish to usurp.

As leaders of our families, our responsibilities have literal and lasting “Kingdom” implications. Strong families are the backbone of truly successful churches, and effective communities. As a father, if you’re missing these next points, you might be missing what it means to be the leader in your home.

Primarily, a godly father will love his wife. Ephesians 5:25 says “for husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her.” I believe the greatest gift a father could ever give his children is to love their mother. The confidence of knowing their home is secure, provides the best foundation for every lesson to follow.

Secondly, Ephesians 6:4 says, “fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord” Warning: this means you need to be there first, under His authority, leading by example. A godly father isn’t going to respond to disobedience as a knee-jerk reaction, born of frustration, as his anger boils over. He’s grounded in the Word, having no need to fish for behavioral guidelines, since they’re clearly provided for us. Trust in God and His Word. Set them as the standard by which you lead your family.

As fathers, God’s blessing is that He allows us to partner with Him in raising the men and women of His Kingdom. On earth, we call them our sons and daughters. Be assured, however, that this is only a temporary relationship. We have a responsibility, and are accountable to God for the warriors our homes produce. What will you do with the gift you’ve been given, the opportunity to lead them?

Common Factor

 by Chris Jones

Since you might have slept through math, allow me to give a refresher on common factors.  They’re the numbers you multiply together to get another number, the product.  For example: two and three are factors of six (2×3=6), three and five are factors of fifteen (3×5=15) and three and seven are factors of twenty-one  (3×7=21).  Each of these equations share a common factor, three.  Three makes each of these products similar.  They bear a unique quality that three brings to the equation.

YOU IN THE BACK…WAKE UP!!!  It’s time to apply this to “real life”.

The quality of our lives is greatly influenced by the quality of our relationships.  Some are fun.  Some are serious.  Some are just straight-up toxic.  Regardless, each relationship is the product of all the factors we bring to them.  If a relationship is fun, one or both parties is bringing fun to that relationship.  If a relationship is serious, it’s the product of one or two serious people.  We get out what we put in.

The common factors in each of your relationships are the ones you bring, individually.  Maybe there’s a general sense of peace in your relationships.  It’s probably because you’re a peaceful person.  If there’s a sense of adventure and fun in your relationships, its probably a result of your adventurous, fun spirit.  It’s interesting, the things we learn about ourselves when we analyze what our relationships commonly produce.

The same is true, however, if you struggle in relationships.  Certainly, we all have relationships that fail for any variety of reasons.  It’s something entirely different, though, when each of our relationships is plagued by conflict.  While it’s easy to deflect responsibility for the role we played in any single failed relationship, a different responsibility exists when we see those patterns in the majority of our relationships.

The moral of the story is that we get out of relationships exactly what we put in: the good, the bad and the ugly.  Reducing the negative factors we bring to relationships produces life in it’s simplest form.  When you can take responsibility for what you contribute to your failed relationships, that is an uncommon factor.

Tootsie Roll: The Same Spirit

 by Chris Jones

Lesson Three

There’s an interesting fact Tootsie Roll reveals about their recipe on the Tootsie Roll website.  It says, “Leo’s recipe required the incorporation of the previous day’s (leftover) Tootsie Rolls into each newly cooked confection, a graining process that Tootsie continues to this day. As such, there’s (theoretically) a bit of Leo’s very first Tootsie Roll in every one of the sixty-four million Tootsie Rolls that Tootsie produces each day.”  According to Tootsie Roll, it’s possible that there’s a little of the original in every batch.

That’s exactly the way God designed us, to carry the same Holy Spirit as His Son, Jesus.  Unlike Tootsie Roll, however, this isn’t a diminished version or any kind of variation of the original.  Just as it says in Romans 8, “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you.”  It’s the same Spirit we read about descending on Him at His baptism and empowered Him for ministry on Earth.

It’s an amazing revelation that comes with great responsibility.  We’re confronted with the decision of whether or not to let the power of the Holy Spirit flow through our lives.  To deny that power means denying life and freedom for ourselves and everyone around us.  To live in that power means there is no limit to what God can do through us.

Tootsie Roll: Being Like Christ

 by Chris Jones

I think the Tootsie Roll is an under-appreciated candy.  I didn’t believe this a week ago.  Until recently, I just thought a Tootsie Roll was a small, chewy, chocolatey kind of candy that couldn’t possibly be considered anyone’s favorite.  That was before a simple curiosity led me to discover what lessons can be learned from this mightily meaningful miniature morsel, the Tootsie Roll.

Lesson One

Did you know that Tootsie Roll Industries makes SIXTY-FOUR MILLION Tootsie Roll candies each day!!!  EVERY DAY!!!   That’s a couple more than I would have guessed.   What’s interesting to consider is that every Tootsie Roll tastes the same, each one a faithful reproduction of the original.

Certainly, one’s preference for flavor is a relative thing.  While some people might not like chocolate, it remains one of those flavors that almost everyone in the world recognizes and enjoys.  Although I’m sure no one would accuse a Tootsie Roll of being an actual piece of chocolate, it’s undeniable that one bite brings to mind the slow, melt-on-your-tongue release of sweet cocoa flavor many crave.  Even a simple description of that experience can make one’s mouth water.

Isn’t that the way it should be with us?  By definition, shouldn’t each Christian be a faithful example of Christ.  Psalms says “Taste and see that the Lord is good”.  Is there any chance that our lives might serve as a bitter sample of Christ’s love, to people around us?

Have you ever raved about a certain food to a friend?  Based on your encouragement they try it, clearly not having shared your experience.  We say, “You must have just gotten a bad batch”.  “Trust me you need to try one at/from…” (fill in the blank).  Unfortunately, their perception may have already been forever tainted by that one negative experience.  There’s a great responsibility we share when we identify with Christ.  It’s important that we live as faithful representatives, understanding that we may be the only example of Jesus those around us might ever see.  Live with the purpose of being like Christ.  Cause people to desire more of Him in their lives, through the “sweetness” He has given you to share.

So, ask yourself these questions.  What flavor am I to this world?  Do I inspire people around me to further experience the “sweetness” of Christ?  Have I really experienced that “sweetness” for myself? I’d love to hear your comments.

Community

 by Chris Jones

My sister posted a picture on facebook the other day, in the spirit of “Throwback Thursday”.  It was an image of her and a couple of neighborhood friends playing in our yard when we were children.  When I saw the picture, memories flooded back.  I recalled summer nights, when we would play outside with the other neighborhood kids, well after the sun went down.  I remembered jumping into piles of leaves in the fall and building snowmen in the winter.  The sense of community we enjoyed as kids visited me like an old friend, the instant I saw that photo.

Dictionary.com defines community as “social, religious, occupational, or other group sharing common characteristics or interests and perceived or perceiving itself as distinct in some respect from the larger society within which it exists.”  Isn’t it so much more than that though?  Community is where you borrow a tool you don’t have, or a cup of sugar when you’re running low.  Community is where people come together, pooling their resources during a bad storm.  Community is where neighbors arrange dinners for the one among them who is going through a difficult time.

That kind of community is a special thing.  It doesn’t happen by accident.  It’s seems missing in many neighborhoods, as families retreat indoors to spend “tech-gether” time, each being distracted by our respective electronic devices and the digital communities in which we find our social identities.  The problem: those communities are limited.  Certainly, they serve a purpose, but nothing like the community we can have among our neighbors, to touch one another’s lives in more personal ways.  That community is built through shared experiences, and time spent getting to know one another.  It’s a community worth the investment of our time and personal resources, where our kids learn the importance of people depending on each other. 

It makes me wonder.  What concept of community are we building among our children?  Will they only know the community where we keep one another at a comfortable distance, finding ourselves without meaningful support when trouble comes?  Are we robbing them of the experience of seeing their parents making themselves available to meet the needs of those around them?  How will that understanding of community affect what they think about the Kingdom of God?  I think the way we define and interact with our community is more important than we might realize. 

So, tell me what you think.  How do you define community?  What role does community play in your life?  What role do you play in your community?