At the age of 19, during my freshman year at college, I decided I wanted to become a pilot. So I went for it. When you train to be a pilot, you have to go through many hours of ground school and flight training. One thing you learn in flight school is that a critical responsibility of a pilot is to do a preflight inspection before he and his passengers board the vessel. He should check out the inside of the aircraft to make sure all the instruments are working and inspect the outside of the plane, especially its integrity, to ensure there are no cracks in the wings or fuselage.
Even a minor breach can spell disaster once the plane is in the air. Likewise, there are inspections and critical questions you need to be ready for as a man and father to keep your life from disaster. This is one of the most important.
A father must ensure that he is living a life of integrity as he carries his children on the journey.Integrity
A father must ensure that he is living a life of integrity as he carries his children on the journey. To compromise, even in the slightest, could be devastating for a child. Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is looking.
A Breach of Integrity
Dark secrets in your life can cause a dangerous breach in your fatherhood fuselage and keep you from growing as a leader in your home. Addictions—to sex, pornography, gambling, drugs, alcohol—are primary culprits that will keep you from being the dad you want to be.
When something unhealthy or wrong tempts your heart, you must guard your heart against that temptation. Succumbing to temptation, simply put, is caving into something because it will, at least temporarily, satisfy you. All of us are tempted. The question is what we are going to do with that temptation that constantly sneaks its way into our lives? A proverb says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” When temptation tries to seduce us, rarely do we take a step back, look at it logically, and say, “OK, I see this thing that is tempting me. Sure, it is exciting, it’s fun, and will make me feel so good. But I’m not going to go there because it not only will hurt me in the long run, but it will deeply wound my wife and my children.” So, how, then can we guard our hearts against being taken on down the wrong runway toward an affair, gambling, greed, workaholism, or pornography?
Openness to Inspection
One place to start is to be “open for inspection” at any time and at any place. Here are a few personal examples.
- My wife, Susan, knows my computer password and can use it any time to see what I am reading and looking at. She can also see my calendar at any time.
- Susan and my kids can also pick up my smartphone any time to read my texts and emails and check out what kind of music I’m listening to.
- Susan has complete access to our financial accounts and can see where the money goes.
- My trusted assistant of over 20 years knows exactly where I am and who I’m with most of the time and helps keep me on track.
- A couple of my friends also know they have the freedom to probe into my life to ensure that I stay on course.
I am fearful of messing things up. I’m just one decision away from doing something really stupid and giving up a lifetime relationship with my wife and kids for a moment of pleasure. So I had to ask myself a critical question that every man must ask himself: Are you open for inspection any time and at any place?
Sound off: Are you open for inspection any time and at any place?
Portions of this blog came from my book, All Pro Dad: Seven Essentials to Be a Hero to Your Kids.
Huddle up with your kids and ask, “Why is it important to do what we say we are going to do?”