“And the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing?… For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.” Genesis 18:17, 19 NKJV
Growing up, some of us experienced some form of spiritual training from our parents like times of family devotions, all-night family prayers and so on. We may not have understood the essence of this training and may have rebelled at some point, but it built a structure in us that has contributed to our devotion and sacrifice to the things of God today.
You should ensure that these faith practices continue or you could start them. One of the reasons this is important is because God’s plan for families is to pass on the legacy of faith from one generation to another (Deuteronomy 6:1-2, Proverbs 22:6, Ephesians 6:4). In our anchor text, we see how God was able to vouch for Abraham’s ability to command his children after His heart. Because of this, God could communicate His plans to Abraham, knowing that he would pass them on to his children.
Another reason this is important is because of the far-reaching impact of families in society. The world is largely filled with false religions and if we, as believers, can get the family system right, we will be on the right track to ensuring the preservation of the faith. Unfortunately, the family system is being treated lightly and the devil takes advantage of this to sow ideologies contrary to God’s standard and we must take up our place as watchmen over our household.
Ensuring that your family is not left out in the fulfilment of purpose will require intentionality. One of the ways to do this is to actively ensure that your consecration to God is evident in your home. This can be demonstrated in many ways, such as playing sermons out loud during the day or listening to faith-filled songs during your commute.
Make it clear to your loved ones that you love God and live for Him. Take a step further by including them in your faith journey. Pray and read the Bible together, and if someone is sick, lay hands on them and pray. This will plant seeds in their hearts that will grow.
Another way to do this is to preach the Gospel to everyone in your household as soon as they are of age. The Gospel is God’s power unto salvation to all who believe and this is not restricted to any age (Romans 1:16).
Lastly, watch over them diligently. In these last days, we have seen different agendas being pushed by the world’s system and you must not leave the path of your children or family to chance. Continue to counsel them in God’s Word and pray for and with them.
As you go out today, remember that your family is not left out of God’s plan to see people saved so take steps to get your family onboard. God is counting on you to raise a family that will fill the earth with the message of the Gospel.
Bible Reading Plan: 1 Kings 5-6; Psalm 72