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Key Bible Verse: Let us purify ourselves … perfecting holiness out of reverence for God (2 Corinthians 7:1, NIV). Bonus Reading: 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8,10-12

I returned from a weekend speaking trip late on a Sunday evening. Because I hadn't seen my daughter for a couple of days, I got up after less than five hours of sleep to drive her to school. She could have caught the bus, but if I drove her to school, she could sleep in a little later and we could talk on the way.

Or so I thought. Allison was in a mid-adolescent Monday sort of mood. I couldn't pry a single sentence out of her. Normally quick to express her thanks, she got out of our silent car without so much as a "thank you."

My natural response is to feel resentful and start stewing: I get up after a few hours of sleep, and this is how she treats me? Well, she won't get that chance again! Next week, I'm sleeping in and playing golf! Some parents act nicely toward their kids only so long as they act nicely toward them.

But if I'm a God-centered dad, how they respond to me matters less than what God has called me to do. He wills that I get engaged in my children's lives, offering biblical correction and loving support. Although I adore my daughter, I don't get out of bed early solely out of love for her, but out of reverence for God.

—Gary Thomas in Sacred Parenting

My Response: What spiritual defects has raising kids exposed for me? How can I begin to address them?

Thought to Apply: There are times when parenthood seems like nothing but feeding the mouth that bites you.—PETER DE VRIES (editor & novelist)

Adapted from Sacred Parenting (Zondervan, 2004) by permission.

Copyright © 2006 by the author or Christianity Today International/Men of Integrity magazine.Click here for reprint information on Men of Integrity.

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Prayer for the Week

Thank you, Father, for using my children to reveal where it is I need to grow up, and to push me to put their needs ahead of my own.

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