What warning does Oprah Winfrey have for us family dads?

In a recent broadcast, she announced her new philosophy on life and shared how she grew up Baptist, but in her late 20’s heard a preacher say God is a jealous God. Unable to accept this, she began to look in a different direction for meaning and answers to life.

James Robison, a fellow dad, wrote a personal letter to Oprah on 4/18/08. James has a daily television program which airs around the world and also leads a mission relief organization that feeds over 400,000 African children every month.

Written in a spirit of love, James included in his letter to Oprah a very strong message for us dads…

“It breaks my heart to hear you say that a sentence from your pastor concerning God being a jealous God caused you to reconsider your entire belief system. You misunderstood what the pastor intended and the reality of God’s jealousy. He is not jealous of us, He is jealous for us in the sense that He does not want to see anything foolishly captivate us and take us as prisoners. God does not want you to miss the supernatural fulfillment that He freely offers. It is like a wife being jealous not because her husband associates with other women, but because she knows that he might be captivated by a false relationship and taken away from his first love and his family. Godly jealousy is an expression of love and concern for our best interests — not a petty human emotion of fear, but concern that we might miss the very essence of life.”

Dad, is there something or someone in your life that captivates you today, that looks good on the outside, but is seeking to take you as a prisoner at the expense of your family and your relationship with God?

God is jealous FOR YOU, dad!

What are we doing to prepare our children for life?

Yes, we may be sending them to school every day to gain academic education. But what are WE doing as their dad (not “outsourcing”) to prepare them for… LIFE?

Just asking this question logically brings up a preceding question: Aside from academic knowledge and skills, what do our children NEED in order to be prepared for life?

Here’s an example… Something all dads would probably agree on is that our children need wisdom about money. They will need to know how to balance a checkbook, the difference between needs/wants/wastes, delayed gratification, impulse buying, borrowing money, dangers of debt, investing, etc.

Relationships, spirituality, communication, and health are just a few of the many other areas.

We dads have the privilege, authority, and responsibility of preparing our children for life – but we must be intentional.

I know how easy it is as a dad to miss this in the busy-ness of our own daily life and our work, and to just passively let our kids grow up alongside us.

So I encourage you to give deliberate thought to this matter of preparing your children for life. Pray about it. Discuss it with your wife. Make a written list and bullet points associated with each area. And at the appropriate ages, begin to implement each item on your list, so that your children will be WELL PREPARED FOR LIFE!