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“If we don’t talk, the devil will!” by Steve Lambert

Father’s Day is this Sunday, June the 19th, so I asked Steve to say a few words on the importance of fathers in their families’ lives…

But first a note from me:

Some of my friends reading this may be single moms, and I want to talk to you specifically for a moment. You may be thinking, “This doesn’t apply to me. My children don’t have a father. And I just hate this whole ‘Father’s Day thing’ anyway.” Dear friend, I want to give you two words of encouragement…

  1. I’m praying for you. Life on this earth can be hard and, sometimes, oh so painful, but no matter who we are, and no matter what cross we have been chosen to bear (and the very nature of crosses are so painful!), God has promised to be all that we need. No, I don’t know your story, but He does. I don’t have what you need, but He does. In his message, Steve says that father’s speak life into their children’s lives. This is what God does for you. Listen to the words He says to you. Teach your children to listen to the words He speaks to them. He is a good good Father.
  2. If you are a single mom in need of encouragement, please email me at angela@jellybeanjar.org. I have a special “Parent’s Day” gift for you. I love you!

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“My wife and I were talking the other day about the importance of communication. There were some areas where I had failed to speak clearly regarding my love for her and the enemy had begun to creep into our relationship with doubts and uncertainty on her part. She said something profound…

‘If you don’t talk to your wife, the devil will.’ 
Instantly I knew she was right. I purposed to express my love and commitment more often and with greater urgency in the future. After 45 years of marriage it’s easy to ‘assume’ that some things no longer need to be said. They do… even after 45 years. 
As I’ve reflected on our conversation I’ve been thinking about other relationships as well; specifically our role as fathers. If we don’t talk to our children, the devil will.
I don’t mean the kind of communication that we do on most days regarding allowance, or chores or reminding a child to practice their piano or finish their homework. I’m talking about conversations from the heart. 
If we’re not telling our children how much we love them, the devil is telling them that nobody loves them. If we’re not talking to our children about the nature of God, the enemy is lying to them about God’s nature, just like he did with Adam and Eve in the garden. If we’re not listening carefully when our children ask the deep questions, Satan is telling them that their father doesn’t care about them. 
If we don’t talk to our children about the things that really matter in this life, the devil will. It’s that simple.
Either you or the enemy will define the terms, lay out the boundaries and shape the values that help determine your child’s future. Someone’s going to do it. And it ought to be you. 
Perhaps you don’t know how to talk to your child. Perhaps you never had a role model in your own life. Ask the Lord to help you. Put down the television remote. Put the cellphone on ‘do not disturb.’ Turn off the Xbox. Sit down and talk with your children about the things that matter. Talk to them about the things you wish your own father had talked with you about when you were their age. Tell them you love them… and look them in the eye when you say it.
The years are hurtling past and your children will be gone all too soon. Then you can play video games or watch baseball games or scroll through Facebook without interruption. 
But right now, you have the most important job in the world. Don’t let the devil do it for you.”
 

About Steve:  A busy working father of two, Steve found himself “along for the ride” when Jane first began homeschooling more than 30 years ago. But he quickly saw the benefit to Jane’s unique approach to teaching and became an enthusiastic cheerleader as he watched his children’s love of learning blossom. By the mid-nineties, Steve had become a popular author and speaker at homeschool conventions nationwide. Today Steve remains involved in a variety of family-related ministries, public speaking and writing while enjoying the wonderful role of grandfather. [Steve and Jane Claire Lambert are the founders and publisher of the much loved curriculum, Five in a Row.]

 

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