Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today- October 26, 2011
“Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve… But as for me and my household we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15
Is there enough evidence in your home for you to be convicted of following Jesus Christ? This is a choice that God gives us, a choice to center our home around faith or a facade. What happens behind the doors of your home? Is your home an incubator for faith? Indeed, your ministry begins at home. When your faith works at home, you have the credibility to export it to other environments. It is your laboratory for living.
This does not mean you are without problems, conflicts, and challenges at home. On the contrary, it is when your faith sustains you through family difficulties that it becomes a compelling reason for others to follow Christ. The question for the head of the home is, are you the spiritual leader? As a single parent or the father or mother in the home, do you model prayer and Bible study? Does the fruit of the Spirit flow from your character? Are you involved with a community of believers in a local church?
Belief in God is a choice, so what are some wise choices you can make to build your household of faith? Begin by developing an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. Once you are born again, you have a tremendous opportunity and responsibility to grow in your faith. Learn the Bible, apply it to your life, and let God change you from the inside out.
Next, challenge your family to do the same. Create a culture of prayer that becomes a catalyst for their time with Christ. Family devotions, small groups with other believers, and journaling are a few ways to feed the faith appetite of your loved ones. Take your family to church. This sets the stage for a week of faith and obedience.
Perhaps you read a chapter in Proverbs over dinner. Pray with your spouse. Turn off the television one night a week for 30 minutes, then discuss God’s word or act out a Bible story in a play and then pray for one another. Teach your children to pray for the sick, the lost, and the hurting. Model for them the joy of generous giving and serving.
Show them how to serve the homeless, orphans, and the elderly. Allow your kids to experience summer camps. This will galvanize their faith. It is a financial sacrifice but it is an investment that will keep throwing off dividends throughout their lives.
Talk with your family about your own struggles and failures and God’s faithfulness to answer prayer and take care of you in spite of your mistakes. Your family needs to see you as much vulnerable as they do confident. Indeed, facilitating faith in your home is a daily choice; this is one reason Jesus prayed…
“Give us each day our daily bread” (Luke 11:3).
Am I a catalyst for Christ in my home? Do I serve the Lord with my family?
Related Readings: Genesis 18:19; 2 Kings 23:24; John 4:53; Acts 18:18
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