The family has been on my mind a lot lately. I want to be a great parent and also a trustworthy child. I want to be a better husband and a more supportive grandson. Navigating the many relationships in our families is such an important task we should all take very seriously.
The Lord puts us all into different situations in life, and while some of us come from godly homes, others may not. But, irrespective of our situation, we all have the opportunity to work in the field of our families. So, turning our attention from our hearts to our families, how can we get to work planting the seed in our loved ones’ lives?
Big Idea: God richly blesses our families when we love him first, speak of him daily, and point each other towards our heavenly home.
Rooted in God’s Love
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” (Deut. 6:5)
- God should always be the heart of our homes, the foundation on which everything else is built (Deut. 6:5; Ps. 127:1).
- When our families stand firmly rooted in our faith in the Lord, we stand together (Josh. 24:15).
- Family can also become a stumbling block, an obstacle keeping us from serving the Lord. Maybe we’ll have to stand apart from our loved ones to follow him (Matt. 10:34-37).
Your Daily Influence
“And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” (Deut. 6:6-9)
- With all the emphasis in this passage about “you” and “your,” it’s clear that planting the seed in your family is no one else’s job (Deut. 6:6-9; Eph. 6:4).
- If sickness spreads through a home like a wildfire, holiness is equally contagious (1 Peter 3:1-2).
- Our family sees everything, so sincerity is paramount, rather than putting on a show (Rom. 2:21-24).
From Branch to Branch
“When your son asks you in time to come, ‘What is the meaning of the testimonies and the statutes and the rules that the Lord our God has commanded you?’ then you shall say to your son, ‘We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. And the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. And the Lord showed signs and wonders, great and grievous, against Egypt and against Pharaoh and all his household, before our eyes. And he brought us out from there, that he might bring us in and give us the land that he swore to give to our fathers. And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as we are this day. And it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to do all this commandment before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us.’” (Deut. 6:20-25)
- When we start planting the seed, we need to be ready for the many questions that will surely come (Deut. 6:20-25; 1 Peter 3:15).
- Rather than leaning on “Because I said so,” we ought to be explaining our beliefs and traditions (1 Cor. 11:2; Mark 7:9-13). Like the Pot Roast Principle, we might wind up passing along actions rather than reasons.
- Nothing will be more powerful than connecting THE story to YOUR story by sharing with your family how the Lord changed your life (2 Peter 1:16-18).
Conclusion
Are you ready to put God first in your family, embrace the daily influence you have, and pass along your faith to another generation of believers?
