30 seconds of advice

Let me ask you a very provocative question.

If you have only 30 seconds to live, what advice would you give your children?

I don’t’ mean to be melodramatic but suppose you’re the father in that fantastic movie entitled “Vertical Limit.” You had an accident. You’re hanging on to the end of the rope, above you are your son and daughter and you know that your weight would bring both of them down to their graves. You know you have to let go or else all of you would perish and you only have 30 seconds to do that. What advice would you give your children? 

• Maybe a businessman would say, “Take care of the business. Make sure you collect the receivables.” Senseless isn’t it?

 • Maybe a loving father would say, “Take care of your mom.”

 • A philandering husband might say, “Take care of your mom and please tell my other mistresses I love them.”

• A sports-minded father might say, “Never allow anybody to touch my golf set.”

I’ve thought about this and I’ve wondered about the question myself.

What advice would I give to my kids if I only have 30 seconds to go?

I guess a man who understands the really important things in life would have the following thoughts. Thoughts he might turn to advice given to his kids on those crucial moments.  

• It is not in a man to know his own way, nor is it in a man who walks to direct his own steps...Commit your works to the Lord and your plans will be established...

• Do not be anxious then, saying, ‘What shall we eat?  What shall we drink? Or, with what shall we clothe ourselves?’...But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.......For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans for welfare and not for calamity; to give you a future and a hope...

• And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart...

• Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own understanding...

• Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart...

• Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him.

And the more I think about this the more I realize that I should not wait for the crucial moment to come. The crucial moment is now. And the crucial thing to do is to spend time communicating with my kids the importance of knowing Christ in an intimate and personal way; to teach them and unlock their hidden potentials by serving, helping and giving without expecting anything in return as a means to discover their unique calling and purpose in life. To love God with all their hearts, with all their soul, their strength and their mind and to serve this country well with integrity in all aspect of their lives. 

God has been good to me. The life He has given me has been an exciting and a good one. I want my children to experience the same too. I realize that if I want them to turn out well, I need to spend twice as much time being with them and half the money spending on them; to use the time to talk to them about God’s goodness. And then of course, to constantly remind myself that the best way to show love to my kids is to love their mother.

If you cannot be a success in the family, what gives you the idea that you are a successful person? No success in business could ever compensate for failure in the home.

(Francis Kong will be the lead trainer for the Dr. John Maxwell’s “Developing the Leader Within You” leadership program this May 28-29 at Dusit Hotel. For further inquiries contact Inspire Leadership Consultancy Inc. 632-6872614 OR 09178511115)