Are You Hurting Jesus?

Theme of the Week: Anchored in His Sovereign Grace

You’re so busy trying to fix everything that you’re missing what’s already right in front of you.

Men, we say we want to lead our homes for God, but most of us are living distracted, anxious, and passive. In today’s devotional, we’re going to face that head-on and talk about the kind of mindset and presence a Christian husband and father must have to lead his home with clarity, boldness, and peace. It’s time to stop hurting Jesus by overthinking, overcomplicating, and overlooking what really matters: your family and His Kingdom—right here, right now.

God’s Word for Today
John 14:1 (ESV), “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.”

I’m going to talk straight to you today, brother to brother.

You may be a man who wants to lead his home well. You say you love God. You want to be the kind of father your kids can depend on. The kind of husband who walks with Jesus and sets the tone for the house. But you’re tired. You’re anxious. You’re carrying thoughts you were never meant to carry. And somewhere in all that clutter, you’ve missed the truth right in front of your face.

Jesus is here. Right now. In your home. In your wife’s eyes. In your kids’ laughter. In the silence at the end of the day when you sit alone and feel the weight of it all.

My wife says to me often, “You think too much.” And she’s not wrong. I overanalyze everything. I try to find meaning in things that don’t matter. And the kicker? I usually realize it after I’ve wasted a bunch of energy and time. I miss the moment. I miss what God’s already given me.

Sound familiar?

We say we want to follow Jesus, to lead our families, to honor God. But we’re always chasing what’s next. Planning for tomorrow. Stressing about things we can’t control. We think we’re being wise or responsible. But sometimes, we’re just being faithless.

Here’s the thing. God never guides “soon.” He guides now. He’s not asking for your next big idea or your long-term plan. He’s asking for your heart, right now. He’s asking you to see your kids, right now. To love your wife, today. To notice the blessing of the moment that’s already in your house.

You don’t need more. You need less. You need to quiet your mind and anchor your heart.

I try to live with less—what some call a minimalist life—because it forces me to focus on what matters most. But even that can become a mindset trap if I’m not careful. I can start chasing simplicity and miss the simple truth: my future depends on what I do with right now.

And what matters most in my life? The Kingdom of God in my home.

Not in some faraway plan. Not in a building or church program. The Kingdom of God is in my living room. Around the dinner table. In the way I look my wife in the eyes. In the tone I use with my kids. Jesus said the Kingdom is not somewhere else—it’s here. It’s in us. It’s in our homes.

You want a real picture of the Kingdom? Open your Bible to Matthew 5:1–10. The Beatitudes. Jesus lays it out so clearly: the blessed life is not about what you own or how strong you look. It’s about hunger for righteousness. It’s about mercy. Purity. Peacemaking. Being poor in spirit and depending fully on God.

Your status doesn’t qualify you for the Kingdom. Your income doesn’t bring you closer. Your title doesn’t matter.

You know what matters? Your obedience. Your presence. Your heart before God.

Jesus calls all of us to this life. There’s no boundary, no checklist, no spiritual résumé. And yet we make it complicated. We forget. We get in our own way. As men, we overthink what God made simple.

And while we’re thinking and stressing and analyzing, we’re missing the very thing Jesus is asking us to see. We’re missing the moment. We’re hurting Jesus by worrying instead of trusting. By spiraling instead of shepherding.

When you’re caught in your head, you can’t lead from your heart. And when you don’t lead from your heart, your family feels it. Your wife senses the distance. Your kids notice your stress. And the peace of the Kingdom—that deep, anchoring presence of Christ—gets buried under the noise of your own thoughts.

So here’s your challenge. And it’s not complicated.

Take two minutes. Open up Matthew 5. Read verses 1 through 10. Slowly. Out loud if you have to. Then look at your wife. Look at your kids. Don’t overthink it. Don’t analyze it. Just see them. Be in the room. Be still. Be present.

That’s the Kingdom. That’s shepherding. That’s leading.

The question isn’t whether you have what it takes. Jesus already gave you everything you need to be the man He called you to be.

The real question is this:

Are you hurting Jesus by refusing to see what He’s already placed in your care?

He’s not asking you to be perfect. He’s not even asking you to feel ready. He’s asking you to be present. To live in the moment. To lead from right where you are. To believe Him when He says, “Let not your heart be troubled.”

This is your family. This is your calling. This is your moment.

Don’t miss it.

In this week’s theme of “Anchored in His Sovereign Grace,”
Today’s Shepherding in Action Value is:
“Be Present in the Present.”
God’s Kingdom is already in your home. Step into it today with faith, courage, and presence.

Reflect / Apply / Share

1. Reflect – What anxious thoughts or distractions are keeping you from fully seeing your wife and kids today?

2. Apply – How will you make time today to lead from presence rather than pressure? Be specific.

3. Share – Who is one man you know who needs to hear this? How can you challenge him to lead from the here and now?

Bible References (ESV)

• John 14:1 — “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.”

• Matthew 5:1–10 —
  “Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.
  And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
  ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
  Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
  Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
  Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
  Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
  Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.’”

Personal Prayer

Lord, help me stop chasing what’s next and start leading where I am.
Open my eyes to the Kingdom that’s already in my home.

My Personal Journey & Engagement Call
These weekday reflections flow from my time in God’s Word. I invite you to join me and other Men of the Shepherd in building Christ-centered homes—leading, discipling, and serving like Jesus.
If these reflections encourage you, please like, share, and pass them on so more men can grow in their calling.
To follow along with the weekday readings, check out our Weekday Reflections Playlist on YouTube or subscribe to the YouTube channel here.

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Devotional Week: 25W18