S3E7 - The Hidden Life of a Father: Spiritual Disciplines That Surround and Inform Your Work Life
The Intentional Fatherhood PodcastShow Notes
Many fathers carry a deep sense of responsibility to provide, achieve, and work hard, yet often wonder how their faith should shape both their work and their family life. In this episode, we explore the spiritual disciplines that surround and inform the life of work: before you leave for work, while you're at work, and when you return home.
We discuss the hidden life of a father and why spiritual formation matters when much of your most important work goes unseen. Drawing from poetry, teachings, and our own lived experience, we examine how spiritual disciplines reorder our loves, expose what is driving us, create space for God to interrupt our patterns, and quietly shape the kind of fathers we are becoming.
Key Disciplines of Fathers (Which Also Apply to the Workplace): Presence. Blessing. Repair. Attention. Slowing down. Play. Emotional awareness. Saying no.
We also talk about the transformative impact of prayer, Scripture, fasting, Sabbath, and generosity, as well as two practical rhythms for the workday: making prayer part of your work rhythm and making rest and reflection part of your work rhythm. Along the way, we explore why Sabbath is designed to help us work from rest rather than simply recover from exhaustion, and why our limits are a feature of God’s design, not a flaw.
This episode is not a call to legalism or adding more to your to-do list. It is an invitation to start somewhere. Spiritual disciplines are a gift that help us live, work, and lead our families from a place of being deeply loved by our Father.
Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: November 12-14, 2026 in Austin, TX
Scripture Mentioned: Mark 1:9-11 + Matthew 11:30
Previous Episode Mentioned: S1E3 - Habits, Rhythms, and Spiritual Disciplines for Intentional Fatherhood (YouTube, Spotify + Apple Podcasts)
Poem Mentioned: Those Winter Sundays by Robert Hayden
Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to [email protected], mentioning your name and where you’re from.
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Justin Whitmel Earley: Website + Instagram
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