Family Devotions challenge us to grow in perseverance, obedience and relationships. Maybe some perfect families somewhere enjoy a sweet hour of listening to the Word, sharing insights and worshipful prayer, but I don't personally know these families. Do you? Are you?
I could fill an entire shelf with all the potential family devotional books. We have:
Regardless of how well prepared parents are or how age-appropriate and nicely packaged the study may be, Satan is working overtime to ensure that Family Devotions fail. What better joy for him then to see children and parents grumble, annoy, and in so many creative ways simply destroy "Bible Time"!
I have a word of encouragement for you: Persevere!
Are you still fumbling around to get started? Are you dragging moping people to gather around? Are hearing the whining and complaints about the timing, the study, the subject matter, the room selected, or the color of your hair? (: Persevere!
Have you been humbled by loosing your cool, by rasping back a reply, by you not getting out of bed in time, by the Holy Spirit checking your attitude or by spilling another drip of coffee on your shirt? (: Persevere!
Have you grown weary of being challenged, questioned why this study was picked, offered unsolicited reviews of how ridiculously lacking the questions are? Or maybe you have been blessed with the aged-wisdom that "one of a special kind" of timeless teenage wisdom, the "You don't have a clue what you are doing" assurance. Persevere!
Cheer up! This too shall pass in probably a decade... and no matter what you get wrong you are pressing forward doing what God has called you to do!
Hangeth thou in there parent! God promises that His Word will never go void and to those who persevere we will receive the crown of life!
What are your family devotionals like?
I could fill an entire shelf with all the potential family devotional books. We have:
- toddler time in the Word,
- Children Bibles, Christian Bible Videos (Old & New Testament with workbooks),
- Young Inductive Bible studies, Teen Discipleships on topics of teen interest, Purity studies,
- Bible on CD, 24 Steps for Every Family devotional, Family Time books,
- Bible Memory Verse programs,
- Drawing the Bible Study, Acting out the Bible Time, Sing Fun Christian Songs, Color the Hymns,
- And that doesn't count all the books of godly missionaries, reformers, preachers, and martyrs.
Regardless of how well prepared parents are or how age-appropriate and nicely packaged the study may be, Satan is working overtime to ensure that Family Devotions fail. What better joy for him then to see children and parents grumble, annoy, and in so many creative ways simply destroy "Bible Time"!
I have a word of encouragement for you: Persevere!
Consider it all joy my brethern, when you encounter various trials knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance (perseverance) and let endurance have its perfect work, so that you may be perfect and complete (mature/whole/sanctified), lacking nothing. (James 1:2-3)
Are you still fumbling around to get started? Are you dragging moping people to gather around? Are hearing the whining and complaints about the timing, the study, the subject matter, the room selected, or the color of your hair? (: Persevere!
Have you been humbled by loosing your cool, by rasping back a reply, by you not getting out of bed in time, by the Holy Spirit checking your attitude or by spilling another drip of coffee on your shirt? (: Persevere!
Have you grown weary of being challenged, questioned why this study was picked, offered unsolicited reviews of how ridiculously lacking the questions are? Or maybe you have been blessed with the aged-wisdom that "one of a special kind" of timeless teenage wisdom, the "You don't have a clue what you are doing" assurance. Persevere!
Cheer up! This too shall pass in probably a decade... and no matter what you get wrong you are pressing forward doing what God has called you to do!
"These words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of themwhen you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up." (
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| Train up a Child in the Way the should go and when he is old he shall not depart from it. (Duet 6:6-7) |
What are your family devotionals like?
I really love your website. I feel that it is so important for families to have time in worship together.
ReplyDeleteI really love your blog. I feel that it is important for families to have time in worship together.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very timely word for me today in a different area than devotions - but God used this word "persevere" to REALLY encourage me today. Thank you so much, Lindylou!
ReplyDeleteDr. Brooks, Thank you for the encouragement. My children are all teens now and devotional time as a family is still a challenge. But as godly parents, we preserve and honestly have learned the most devotional time is "in the moment" situations.
ReplyDeleteLove, love, love this post...so many try to do too much when simply spending time together works just as well...I love perseverance...perfect word to describe what we must all do!!
ReplyDeleteBethj,
ReplyDeleteI am so happy God was able to encourage you today to persevere! blessing to you!