Choose to Cheat

My wife and I are now parents! Kind of weird huh? In High School, everyone picked me to be the last to get married and by default the last to have a child. To be honest, I can see why they chose me to be the last.....I didn't have any style and I sometimes didn't even shower. Well, my friends were wrong. And praise God they were wrong. I can't imagine not being with my wife and child at this time. God has blessed my wife and I with the most beautiful little baby, Abigail Grace. After the birth of our little girl, God has reiterated a principal that Andy Stanley promotes in his book, "Choosing to Cheat", that I would like to share during this first post.

Everyone cheats. Working men all over the country choose to elevate their work over their family. A multitude of Pastors have chosen to focus countless hours a day to thier ministry and forget about their primary ministry, their family. As a man called in to the ministry, life gets busy. I'm sure all of you Pastors can say a hearty "Amen" to that statement. Furthermore, as a man devoted to the healthy upbringing of my family, I have a choice every day to either cheat my ministry, my job, or my family. Ever since my precious little girl was born, God has restored an unexplainable passion in my heart to lead and love my family. What does that mean? I am committed to spending time with my family no matter how busy life, my job, or the ministry gets, in order to cultivate a God fearing atmosphere in the home. In addition, I am devoted to pouring the Word of God in to my family's life so that we can be encouraged and challenged to live a lift that reflects the charachter of God. As the leader of my home, that's my job. If I don't do that, I fail as a husband, father and as a minister. Furthermore, I am not even equipped or qualifed to lead God's flock unless I "manage my household well" (1 Timothy 3:4). It makes absolute 100% sense for you as the leader of your home to cheat every other facet of your life(when necessary) in order for your family relationship to thrive. You can't do everything. You can't pour every ounce of who you are in to every element in your life. You can't work 80 hours a week and spend quality time with your kids on a consistent basis. You can't "hang out with the boys" every weekend when you barely see your wife during the week if you desire to lead and love your wife in a Biblical manner. If you want to invest in your family, you can't go play golf on every off day that you have. You must cheast somewhere and something. Pastor's have responsibilities, that is a no brainer. However, when you load your week up with countless number of ministry responsibilities, and leave no room for quality time with your spouse and children, you cheat your family.

Today, and I pray every day, I am focused and commited on choosing to cheat the lesser important areas of my life in order for my family relationship to thrive. Sure, ministry is important; it's what God has called me to do while on earth. I am extremly passionate and very serious about local church ministry. However, it's not as important as my precious family. Before ministering in the local church, I am called to minister to my family. What good am I to hundreds of people within a local Church if I can't lead and love my family of 3?? So, when you have an opportunity to go see the NC State vs. UNC game on a Friday night with a friend, and you haven't spend quality time with your wife the whole week, choose to cheat and say no to a rather inviting ACC rivalry game in order to be the husband your called to be. Cheat......It's Biblical. It's rational. It's healthy.