Valley Women's Encouragement Conference

There have been times that I found myself concentrating on something that God never intended for me to. Been there?

Satan loves distracted families. He loves ‘good’ families. He loves families that are focused on good things, but the wrong good things….like rules and programs and methods.

Jesus never lived by rules. He lived by relationships. Every incident was very individual. He met each person and each happening fresh and new and personally.

“That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. For we have great joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother.” Philemon 6,7

I am always communicating my faith. I am either telling my kids that it is a list of rules that God expects us to follow, a rat-race to be endured, or a relationship to be discovered.

I have to ask myself if I am communicating my faith in an encouraging way. Am I refreshing my family in the way that I introduce Christ to them while we go about our days, just like Philemon said? If I’m not communicating Christ I am still communicating something. Am I communicating  lists? Rules? Assimilation? Always communicating…

We can’t take comfort in our perfect church attendance, wardrobe rules, courtship rules, family Bible reading plans, outreach opportunities and church programs…. this isn’t where Jesus meets us… or our children. Our kids don’t care a lick about being in the church choir or going door to door if they don’t know Jesus. It’s just what they understand the christian culture to be…. and they must take part in it until they are on their own.

Naturally, being in the Word will steer how I live, what I do, where I go, what activities my family gets involved in, and maybe some of these are good things that God has asked me specifically to do, but they don’t replace the need for the relationship in the first place. So many times I catch myself putting the cart before the horse. Morality is a dangerous pedestal to set ourselves up on and terrifying results in parenting!

 

If you want your family to be strong you don’t go to church more.
If you want your family to be strong you don’t do visitation.
If you want your family to be strong you don’t set up a dress code and courtship rules.
If you want your family to be strong you don’t homeschool.
If you want your family to be strong you don’t keep a tidier home and give the children chores to do…….
If you want your family to be strong you INTRODUCE THEM TO THE PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST ALL DAY EVERY DAY!!!…. and the only way to do that is to be in the Word constantly.  If I do not start there it doesn’t matter if I show up at church every time the doors are open. It won’t matter if I help in every ministry there is. It won’t do a thing if I homeschool. The devil won’t be offended one bit if I go door to door with tracts in hand,… I have NO POWER. None. The only way to conquer and gain victory at home is to concentrate on my relationship with Jesus and God’s Word.

God created the family home to be the place where He is introduced, lived out, and praised. He wants the family to be an extension of Him and how His grace works. If home isn’t allowing for Christ to be shared because we are too busy running church programs or extra curricular activities, or fulfilling educational quotas, then Satan is getting his foot in the door.

Ministry starts at home. Moms, we should never forget that our children are our first and foremost priority in sharing and living out the gospel. We are always communicating our faith to someone, and when we have kids at home we need to be making sure they are our biggest mission field and receiving the right message.

~Shannon