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I was tucking my 10 year old daughter, Janina to sleep tonight. Tucking your kids to bed is always a good idea.  That’s when the day winds down and all the things that happened within that day flashes back and the things lodged down deep in your kids’ hearts come to surface.

“What do you do if a girl is told that she is mayabang (proud) by one person and many of us don’t really think she is?  What can I tell her?”

I told her that we are told by the Bible to always go the opposite spirit.  Proverbs tells us that a gentle answer turns away anger.  Jesus says to bless those who curse; to pray for those who persecute us.  Hebrews tells us to repay evil with good.

“It is possible that your friend is being misunderstood,” I told her.  “She can have 1 of 2 reactions.  She can get back at that person for misunderstanding her.  Or she can look inside her heart to see why seemingly she is being perceived as mayabang.”

And if the person is being mean to her, she can respond by going the opposite direction.  When something negative is done, she can respond by doing something positive.  It surely can be a hard thing, but God’s grace is more than sufficient as we come to Him for help.

I thought, “kids issues are not much different from grown ups.”

It just seems more ‘sophisticated’ and ‘complicated’ but the principles remain the same.

Three people I need in my life… and you need them too…

1. Paul

I need someone who can mentor and coach me.  I don’t know everything and I will never get to the point that I will know everything.  I need someone to help me follow Jesus to my very last breath.

I thank God for Steve, Joey, Ariel, Ferdie and Manny who have been like that to me.

2. Barnabas

While following a mentor is critical, equally important is peer discipleship.  I need people who will stay in my face and let me know when I am not in the right.

I thank God for Robert, Chaz, Michael, LA, Carlos, Dennis, Rico, Julius who have been like that to me.

3. Timothy

Being a coach and a mentor is part of discipleship.  We help people follow Jesus.

You and I need to find men and women who we can pour our life into. . . to give what was given to us. .. to share what was shared to us.

Priorities are a priority.

Not having them will someday prove to be a disaster.  It’s cool to hear from people say that they just go with the flow.  It’s fun to hear that they are spontaneous.  Unfortunately, when we don’t prioritize, certain things, namely relationships can get left out.

Listen to what Wayne Cordeiro, a pastor from Oahu, says in his book, “Leading On Empty.”

“One day after years of ministry with a wonderful congregation, I will say my good-byes, pack my bags and , with many tears, walk out of the church.  But when I walk out of the church, there’s only one place I can walk into.

Family.

If you miss building the home base, you will have nowhere to go when ministry days are over… Too many have sacrificed marital harmony and family on the altar of success.  It’s not worth it.”

It’s not worth it.  Those words don’t ring in our heads until it’s too late.

What’s worth it?  Your family is.