YOU KNOW, IN THIS LAST SEASON OF MY LIFE
I'VE GONE FROM BEING A HUSBAND TO MY WIFE, KRYSTAL,
TO NOW ALSO BECOMING A FATHER TO MY TWO SONS, DENVER AND DALLAS.
AND AS MY ROLES HAVE INCREASED,
I'M NOW LIVING OUT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
TO BE THE HEAD OF THE HOUSEHOLD,
AND I'VE HAD THIS SNEAKY FEELING
OF BEING OVERWHELMED CREEPING IN.
IF I'M BEING HONEST, I LOOK AROUND AT MY FAMILY
AND I OFTEN ASK MYSELF,
"HOW AM I GOING TO LEAD THIS FAMILY WELL?"
MAYBE YOU'RE THE HEAD OF YOUR HOUSEHOLD
AND YOU'VE HAD THAT SAME FEELING BEFORE, AS WELL.
OR MAYBE YOU'RE A SINGLE PARENT AND YOU GET ANXIOUS
THINKING ABOUT HOW YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE IT ALL WORK.
MAYBE YOU'RE LIKE ME AND YOU'RE A BRAND NEW DAD
AND YOU'RE NEW TO THIS PARENTING AND MARRIAGE THING,
AND YOU'RE TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU ARE,
BUT THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT THE SUCCESS AND WELL-BEING
OF THE ENTIRE FAMILY RESTING ON YOUR SHOULDERS
THAT GIVES YOU THAT ANXIOUS FEELING.
IF THAT'S YOU TODAY, LET ME BE THE FIRST TO SAY
I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND.
BUT LET ME OFFER YOU SOME SOLACE THAT I HAVE FOUND
TO BE THE SINGLE MOST COMFORTING THING
ABOUT WORRYING ABOUT THE WELL-BEING OF MY FAMILY.
WORRYING ABOUT THE HOUSEHOLD THAT'S UNDER MY CARE,
I'VE FOUND MY COMFORT IN THIS ONE VERSE.
THE AUTHOR OF PSALM 128 SAYS,
"BLESSED ARE ALL WHO FEAR THE LORD,
"WHO WALK IN OBEDIENCE TO HIM.
"YOU WILL EAT THE FRUIT OF YOUR LABOR;
"BLESSINGS AND PROSPERITY WILL BE YOURS.
"YOUR WIFE WILL BE LIKE A FRUITFUL VINE WITHIN YOUR HOUSE;
"YOUR CHILDREN WILL BE LIKE OLIVE SHOOTS AROUND YOUR TABLE.
"YES, THIS WILL BE THE BLESSING
"FOR THE MAN WHO FEARS THE LORD."
Y'ALL, THIS IS... THIS IS SO GOOD FOR ME.
IF YOU'VE EVER WONDERED HOW YOU WERE GOING TO LEAD
YOURSELF OR YOUR FAMILY TO FLOURISHING IN GOD,
THIS IS IT.
THE AUTHOR OF PSALM 128 LAYS OUT THAT A FAMILY, A HOUSEHOLD,
FLOURISHES IN LIFE AND RECEIVES A BLESSING FROM GOD
BY WAY OF FEAR OF GOD AND OBEDIENCE TO GOD.
NOW, WHEN THE AUTHOR WRITES THE WORD "FEAR"
HE ISN'T IMPLYING WE SHOULD BE SCARED OF GOD.
PROPERLY TRANSLATED, THIS WORD "FEAR"
JUST MEANS HAVING REVERENCE FOR GOD.
AND Y'ALL AS I'VE LAID AWAKE AT NIGHT
WHILE MY WIFE AND TWO SONS WERE ASLEEP
AND WRESTLED WITH THIS IDEA OF LEADING MY FAMILY WELL,
I STUMBLED UPON THIS VERSE
AND IT HAS CHANGED THE GAME FOR ME,
BECAUSE IT IS EVIDENT IN SCRIPTURE
THAT THE SUCCESS AND WELL-BEING OF MY FAMILY
SHOULDN'T BE MY PRIMARY FOCUS.
REVERENCING GOD AND BEING OBEDIENT TO GOD
SHOULD BE MY PRIMARY FOCUS.
AND YOU KNOW THIS.
WHEN OUR LIVES ARE ROOTED IN HAVING REVERENCE FOR GOD
AND BEING OBEDIENT TO HIM,
ALL THOSE THINGS WE WERE WORRIED SICK ABOUT
BECOME HIS OBLIGATION AND NOT OURS.
AND AS A RESULT OF OUR OBEDIENCE AND REVERENCE,
THE HOUSEHOLD THRIVES.
IMAGINE FOR A MOMENT
WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE IN YOUR LIFE.
IMAGINE THE STRESS THAT MAY BE LIFTED OFF OF YOUR SHOULDERS,
THE ANXIETY THAT MAY SUBSIDE,
ALL BECAUSE WE STOPPED FOCUSING ON MAKING THINGS HAPPEN
FOR OUR FAMILY BY WAY OF OUR POWER
AND STARTED TRUSTING THAT GOD CAN DO IT IN HIS.