I have yet to meet a Christian mother who has the easiest time getting all her kids together for devotional. I'm saying yet because I'm sure there are women out there who unlike me, have this thing figured out.
Still, I learned to press on, no matter what type of day we had.
I work full-time and my husband and I are in ministry. We also have a family business. The kids are wonderful teenagers who are growing and changing every day.
Devotional time is often after dinner, before bedtime. No doubt I am tired. I also carry the day's burdens when it is time to get everyone together for devotional. Sometimes I feel a certain way about the behavior choices of the kids. Other times it is my own behavior towards friends and family that burdens me. The walk from the kitchen to the living room feels more difficult yet I proceed. I say "hey guys, come to the living room for devotional." Everyone comes over. This completes the hardest part of gathering the family for devotional. Opening the word and closing our time in prayer makes every heavy feeling disappear. I feel renewed and encouraged.
This summer we have been reading a few letters of Paul. Nothing about this devotional time is regimented. My goal is to gather around the only book that will make a current and eternal impact in our lives. My prayer is that the words of the Bible change our lives personally and collectively. I am aware that God brings the results. I'm simply an instrument in His hands.
Once we finished 1 Peter, the logical thing to do was to start 2 Peter so we did.
We camped on verses 5-9 because they felt personally convicting.
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.
We spoke about our responsibility to make every effort to grow in our faith. There are things God does and this is a good example of what we are supposed to do as Christians.
Here is a list of things we need to make every effort to add to our faith:
- Goodness
- Knowledge
- Self-control
- Perseverance
- Godliness
- Mutual affection
- Love
I challenged the kids to think about these qualities in depth, even think about the order they are presented in the text.
So why make the effort to add these qualities to our faith? Because they make us productive and effective in our knowledge of Jesus. Verse 8 says "For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."
At the end of this discussion, my heart is lifted in praise to God. One of the kids said they felt encouraged by these words.
Gathering everyone for devotional is worth the effort. I know and I'm not embarrassed to say I've used all types of excuses not to do it. Yet, when I choose to gather the family in the name of the Lord for the purposes of the Lord, things change.
Devotional time is not a magic trick to get kids to do what I want them to do. Devotional time is something we do as a service and dedication to the God of the Bible.
Devotional time is not a way to build memories with my family. Devotional time is a way to show my growing kids how to grab hold of God, no matter where He takes them in the future.
If like me, you find gathering growing kids challenging, please know that God will meet you in your tiredness. He will meet you in your feelings of inadequacy. He is masterful in transforming what He touches. I invite you to allow the word of God to touch you and your family during your time of devotional.
Prayer: Lord, I confess that sometimes it is challenging to gather my family for devotional. Give me the resilience to come to You, no matter how I feel. Give me wisdom to habitually read the Bible and pray with my family. Thank you for your grace and the transforming power of your word. I pray this in Jesus' name, Amen.
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