Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Quite a List of Ideals

From A Few Traits of Christian Fathers:

  • Strength is a man who says he’ll pray for you and really does
  • Strength is a man who keeps his eyes, ears, and heart pure
  • Strength is a man who listens more than he talks
  • Strength is a man who teaches his children to love Christ above all else
  • Strength is a man who loves his wife completely
  • Strength is a man who doesn’t lust after people other than his spouse
  • Strength is a man who speaks well of his wife and never talks badly about her in the company of other men
  • Strength is a man who doesn’t look at porn
  • Strength is a man who doesn’t engage in gossip or idle talk about others
  • Strength is a man who keeps a close eye on his finances
  • Strength is a man who gives money to his church and the poor without getting anything in return
  • Strength is a man who doesn’t look for happiness in material things
  • Strength is a man who quickly admits when he’s wrong
  • Strength is a man who gives other people credit
  • Strength is a man who leads by example instead of barking orders
  • Strength is a man who weeps when he sees the suffering of others
  • Strength is a man who does what is right, even when there’s a high cost
  • Strength is a man who defends the weak when they can’t
  • Strength is a man who knows when to come home from work and when not to
  • Strength is a man who doesn’t judge others as being less than himself, but judges himself to be the greatest sinner of all
  • Strength is a man who doesn’t treat people differently due to race, religion, background, or socioeconomic status
  • Strength is a man who knows he doesn’t have all the answers
  • Strength is a man who is always trying to learn and grow
  • Strength is a man who is unafraid to show his silly side
  • Strength is a man who is willing to dance in public with his children
  • Strength is a man who will leave an “important meeting” because his family needs him
  • Strength is a man who stops to help people on the side of the road
  • Strength is a man who loves, above all else, God, and secondly, others as himself, as our Savior commanded

Of course, just because I am who I am, I would have wrote the above this way:

  • Strength is a man who:
    • says he’ll pray for you and really does
    • keeps his eyes, ears, and heart pure
    • listens more than he talks
    • teaches his children to love Christ above all else
    • loves his wife completely
    • doesn’t lust after people other than his spouse
    • speaks well of his wife and never talks badly about her in the company of other men
    • doesn’t look at porn
    • doesn’t engage in gossip or idle talk about others
    • keeps a close eye on his finances
    • gives money to his church and the poor without getting anything in return
    • doesn’t look for happiness in material things
    • quickly admits when he’s wrong
    • gives other people credit
    • leads by example instead of barking orders
    • weeps when he sees the suffering of others
    • does what is right, even when there’s a high cost
    • defends the weak when they can’t
    • knows when to come home from work and when not to
    • doesn’t judge others as being less than himself, but judges himself to be the greatest sinner of all
    • doesn’t treat people differently due to race, religion, background, or socioeconomic status
    • knows he doesn’t have all the answers
    • is always trying to learn and grow
    • is unafraid to show his silly side
    • is willing to dance in public with his children
    • will leave an “important meeting” because his family needs him
    • stops to help people on the side of the road
    • loves, above all else, God, and secondly, others as himself, as our Savior commanded

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