Prophet Priest King II

found time to occasionally play tag with the children in the yard and do things as a family. I
kept faithful to my wife, hugged the kids, and took them all to church twice every Sunday. I
honestly thought that I was a great husband and father.
Looking back, the view is quite different. Although I did not see it myself at the time, the truth
was simple and clear; I brought home the bread and maintained the house and yard, and
Libby met my needs as well as hers and the children’s. I did nothing more and nothing less,
and I believed the arrangement was fair, equitable, and proper. Little did I realize how much
more God expects of me.
In 1995, the Father began convicting me of my failure to provide headship for my
household. I did not understand what it involved, but I began to budget more time with my wife
and children. My heart was still in my career, but I was at least more conscious of my
responsibilities at home.
My heart’s desire was obedience to the Father, but changes in my life were evolutionary
rather than revolutionary. I did not know what He expected of me as a father, and I was
addicted to the pursuit of my career. On December 31, 1997, I surrendered my career, my
pride, and my security to God. I asked Him to take my life and make it what He wanted me to
be.
God, in His infinite wisdom, led me to resign from my engineering management position in
January of 1999. My career had defined my identity, my status, and my security. It was a
difficult addiction to break. For eight months, I went “cold turkey.” I had no position, no income,
and no job. I was a “nobody,” except a child of God and a husband and father to my family.
This was the beginning of healing and restoration for my household.
I learned that spending time with my family is not a good measure of success as a father. It
is like a college student showing up every day for class; it is great that she is there, but that
does not earn her an “A.” In the same way, I do need to spend time with my family, but a much
larger responsibility rests upon my shoulders.
The question Skip implicitly asked during our conversation that Friday evening was, “Why
do I know that there are important things to do with my family, but I tend to busy myself with
urgent but less important duties?” I often asked that question myself as I locked the doors and
turned out the lights to tuck in another day.
Perhaps you hear the call to assume a greater role as head of your household. You may
sense distraction by the pursuit of career, sports, possessions, or hobbies. You may be
struggling to balance the physical, emotional, spiritual, and financial demands of career and
home. The urgent has you tight within its grip, while the important remains elusive. The goal of
this book is to encourage you to embrace your calling, authority, and responsibility: to fulfill the
roles of priest, prophet, and king in your household.
We do not hear it often preached from the pulpits, and it certainly is not a part of our culture,
but God has clearly charged husbands and fathers with serious responsibilities, and we will be
held accountable. Many wives, single moms, and emotional widows will attest that they have
indeed been left holding the bag while the men have squandered their responsibilities.