The Instruction of a Father

Twelve important things I learned from my dad, Arthur DeMoss (1925–1979)

1. Take God seriously.

(Eccl. 6:2; Rom. 11:36; 12:1–2; Eph. 1:4–6; Col. 1:16 )

2. Start your day with God.

(Ps. 5:3; 63:1; 143:8; Prov. 8:32–34; Isa. 50:4–5; Mark 1:35)

3. Trust and obey. Rest in and surrender to the sovereignty of God.

(Ps. 135:5–6, Dan. 4:3–37)

4. “Little” things matter . . . a lot. The choices you make today will have consequences.

(Song 2:15; Gal. 6:7)

5. You aren’t responsible for what others say or do to you; you are only responsible for how you respond to them.

(Ezekiel 18:20b; Matt. 12:37)

6. Ask for advice . . . listen to godly counsel.

(Prov. 8:32–34; 13:1; 19:20)

7. Guard your heart. Be intentional and wise about what you feed into your mind.

(Deut. 8:11–13; Prov. 4:23; Luke 8:14)

8. Marriage is for keeps—don’t settle for less than God’s best.

(Gen. 2:24; Eph. 5:31–33)

9 . Don’t spend your life—invest it. One day we will give account for how we managed the resources God entrusted to us—time, talent, treasure, and opportunities.

(Matt. 6:19–21; 1 Pet. 4:8–10)

10. You can’t out-give God.

(Prov. 3:9–10; 11:24–25; 22:9; 28:27; 2 Cor. 9:6–15; Phil. 4:16–19)

11. Look for opportunities to share Christ with others.

(Acts 20:20–21, 24; 22:14–15; 2 Cor. 5:20; 1 Thess. 2:2)

12. Time is short; eternity is long. Don’t waste your life—make it count for eternity.

(Dan. 4:3b; 12:3; Matt. 24:45–46)