Familial Spiritual Growth
What do you find to be your responsibility as a Christian to your family? As I reflect on my own journey, I remember thinking that when I get married, I want to make sure to attend church services with my husband. When we transitioned into parenthood, we took an oath in front of God that we would provide spiritual guidance to our children. This did not mean to depend heavily on Bible school programs, youth ministers, and young group activities. We had to do our part which was praying together as a family, reading the Bible together, remembering God in everything that we do, and first and foremost thanking God for all His blessings in our lives.
Our oath and spiritual journey came with challenges and in present day we continue to face challenges. However, my husband and I have consistently placed God as a priority in our marriage and invite Him in our home every day through prayers and Biblical readings. We both were born into our Faith and Christian beliefs which made it easier to face these challenges together. Some of our challenges included laziness, Earthly desires, influences from friends, and non-spiritual commitments. Through prayers and consistency, we continue to strive towards showing God’s love and doing His work.
God has given us the power of prayer and looks forward to hearing from us. Lean into His listening ear and understanding heart. Growing together as a family in spiritual growth brings joy to Him. As a Christian family, we found that it is our responsibility to preach His word to our children and one another. Never doubting His abilities to change our direction when we feel distracted or even moving towards the enemy. God knows us better than we know ourselves. “But even the hairs of your head are all numbered” Matthew 10:30 God knows all our needs, desires, challenges, and concerns. “So, don’t worry about these things, saying, “What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?” Matthew 6:31-32
God entrusted us with the utmost gift, His children. Teach not only by words, but by example. We have found that the best way to preach about God is by our behaviors. As it is noted, being Christian role models outweighs the words we preach. There have been periods of our lives where we found ourselves ‘telling’ our children how to praise God instead of showing them. I remember witnessing my parents love to God by their attendance in church, hymns playing at home, and daily prayers. Of course, they made sure to tell me how important it was to attend church services, but it meant more to me to watch them attend.
Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these’ Matthew 19:14. The Christian foundation you have established with your family will not be forgotten or neglected. Even if family member(s) stray away from their Faith, trust in Him and in what has been instilled from the beginning.
