I don’t know about you, but I try way too hard to be perfect in everything I do. It can be so stressful trying to cook the perfect meal, pray the perfect prayer, or write the perfect article. Then, I realize I am depending too much on the broken man God is renewing day by day, instead of the man He is helping me to become.

“It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others.” (Ephesians 2:10, TLB)

Answer these questions honestly:

1) You ever been there?

2) Do you find yourself daydreaming what life would be like if the bills stopped piling up, the kids started listening, and your wife would be everything you need?

3) Or maybe, what life will be like when you meet the “one,” or when you get that job you’ve been working to get?

Hopefully, we are beginning to realize we have been given these types of situations because God knows something behind the scenes that our verse points out above. We are equipped to “spend these lives helping others” (Ephesians 2:10, TLB) through our interactions in these types of scenarios and many others.

These very circumstances are our calling as UNCOMMMEN to the world God has placed in front of us. Those bills are for the home you and your family make memories in that will outlast whatever resources it took to upkeep it. Caring for your family requires investment.

Those children are an inheritance from the Lord (Psalm 127:3). Meaning God decided you could be trusted with the way they view Him, the fallen world, and their part to play in carrying the baton into the future generations.

Most importantly, next to our personal relationship with our heavenly Father, is our wife. She has been handcrafted by the hand of God to complement her husband perfectly. The love you share with each other through your marriage has the opportunity to reflect the intimacy God shares with His church to the saved and the lost.

So take a minute and breathe. You are not alone. You are not the only man in the world trying to be perfect in all they do and feel as though they are beating the air. Keep pushing anyways. In caring for your family, you aren’t expected to be perfect, but you’re expected to try. When you feel as though you want to check out, now is the time to check in!

Your Kids

Sit down with your kids and show them their worth exceeds any failure they may experience. Life is tough, and they need to know you are a place of safety and trust. Sit down and play a video game, read a book together, or throw the Frisbee for a few minutes.

Your Wife

And then there is your wife. Never overlook all she has done so the two of you can be together. She didn’t just say “yes” to you in the past. She says yes every day by entrusting you with her future. We as husbands get the opportunity to care for them even if we are exhausted from just taking care of ourselves. Rub her feet, kiss her without expectation, and surprise her with small gifts or notes to rekindle the little reasons why you two started this wild journey in the first place.

About the Author: Joshua recently published his experience as a young man going through an abortion in a previous relationship as a teenager. He hopes to reach the world by sharing the real message behind “Responding to the Hidden Cries.” He can be reached at [email protected] if you’d like to encourage him through the process, interested in picking up a copy, or setting up a speaking arrangement.