I am continuing a blog series entitled, “6 Lies I believed in 2010.” My goal is to identify the lies I unknowingly bought into during the past year, and that God has begun to deliver me from.  I am sharing from the heart my greatest lessons of the year.  Here are the final two and I believe these are potentially the most devastating if not unveiled and surrendered to Jesus.  Here you go…

THE LIE #2…It hasn’t happened yet, so I guess it’s not going to happen.

THE TRUTH IS…a dream delayed does not equal a dream denied. Don’t bail before the breakthrough.
During the delay is when God is doing His greatest work IN YOU. And God must first do a work IN YOU before He can do a work THROUGH YOU. God is shaping your character during the delay, because it is THROUGH YOUR CHARACTER THAT GOD WILL ACCOMPLISH GREAT THINGS!

THE LIE #1…Being a successful pastor or an effective leader in the church means I get a FREE PASS at home.
My family won’t mind if I am gone most of the time because I am busy “doing ministry.”

THE TRUTH IS…My FIRST MINISTRY IS MY FAMILY.
Just because I am “doing my job” as a pastor or a church leader doesn’t mean I am modeling Christ in my home and showing my children how to love Jesus. In fact, I must first pastor my wife and my two little precious girls. ONLY THEN, am I fit to pastor God’s children in the local church.  I am a pastor first to my family.  I am a missionary first to my children.  I am a counselor first to my wife.  I am a ministry coach and cheerleader first to my two precious daughters.

When my girls get older I want them to not only think that Daddy loved them, but I want them to know that DADDY LOVED BEING WITH THEM.  When my days on this planet are over, I want my wife to think back to the day I said, “I DO” and be able to say, “HE DID!”

I am not a “PASSIONATE CHRIST FOLLOWER” if I am not also a “PURSUING HUSBAND” to my wife and a “PRESENT FATHER” to my children!