I’ve been writing on making a game plan so that you are absolutely intentional to invest in the spiritual training of your family this school year (and the whole year, really).  If you missed any of the previous posts in this series here the are:

I’ve given you some information in the previous posts to consider in developing an overall plan for your family’s spiritual training. In the next few blog posts we’ll take a look at ways in which your family (and mine) can live out what God’s Word says, thus being a doer, not just a hearer of the teachings from Bible.

James 1:22 (NIV) Be ye doers of the Word, not just hearers, deceiving only yourselves.

Helping a recent widow by doing yard work.

Helping a recent widow by doing yard work.

Cultivating the Culture Within Our Home

We are cultivating a culture within our homes. Little by little, situation by situation, example by example, living out our very walk with the Lord in front of our children. or not.

So, the question to ask of ourselves is what are our actions pointing to? A life absorbed by our own busyness, that revolves only around providing for the needs (and perhaps even more wants) of our own family? Or, do you live a life where you continuously see needs, help others, involve your children in this process? Are you actively looking for ways to bless others outside (and within) your family?

Don’t get me wrong here…there have been seasons in my life where I’m on survival mode. (See video tape of  me speaking on just such a time in my own life). Even that, the goal is to get to the point where we (meaning I) can push aside consuming thoughts of our own world (and its pressures), laying them down at the feet of Jesus and trusting Him, His sovereignty, His provision and in its place turning our attention to the needs, hurts, and even joys of those around us and entering into their world. This is not an easy process, but it is powerful, and during this process we do discover that true joy is found in serving the Lord.

True joy is found in serving the Lord.

True joy is found in serving the Lord.

We want the culture within our home to be scripture lived out, not just studied, but a life in continual learning spilling over into continual application.

Teaching to the heart. Impacting homes. Our little nation (our family) thinking outward. Our family blessing others.

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Our families need to have a plan in place, or at least a goal etched so deeply within our hearts that we will drop our own plans to help others, as God prompts our hearts.

Intentionally Living It Out.

How will your family be intentional to LIVE OUT a life for Christ and that is evidenced by being about others? There are needs all around us. When a foundational priority within your home is to live out Christ, then your actions will be such that your little nation (your family) will be ministers in the very place(s) in which God has your paths. This is living out the word of God.

Kids Who are Not About Themselves. Say What?

As you and your family live out being about the work of the Lord, seeing and meeting needs as you go, you’ll experience unexpected blessings with the fruit of your children (and yourself). Although the goal is to teach our kids to see and serve, take a look at these results you’ll see in the process of raising children in a home that serves:

  • less self-absorbed because their world is not revolving around pleasing themselves; their focus is not inward, it’s outward
  • more content because their focus isn’t comparing, but sharing (eww…that was a good one)
  • more confident because their focus is on the other person not self (meaning the other person’s needs outweigh their own doubts and what if’s associated with self-centered thinking)
  • more confident because their focus and thoughts are on giving, not receiving (what can I do, not what can I get)
  • growing in their walk with the Lord. Remember from an earlier post (and from Scripture, actually) – the way to grow spiritually is FAITH. So, each time you and they hear and obey God’s voice, and do the idea that He’s given you, you grow!

Woo hoo. Isn’t that what we ultimately want… children who walk with the Lord, who are tender to hearing and obeying His voice. Children (and ourselves) who do this:

Mark 12:31-32 (NAS) “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” The second is this, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.

You’re cultivating a home one way or another. What kind is it? It’s not too late to change the whole direction? Spend some time with the Lord, asking Him for the priorities for your family and home life. Ask Him to open your eyes to the needs of those right in the path you go each day. Ask Him to help you with seeing beyond yourselves. He will. It’s an exciting adventure to live expecting Him to use you!! He will.

As you go about your daily living, who could you minister to today?

Tomorrow, I’m sharing one verse with you and asking you to do a Family Check Point. You don’t want to miss it.

Rhonda you’recultivatingahome…justwhatkind? ellis