Unless the LORD builds the house, the work of the builders is wasted. – Psalm 127:1 NLT
The blended family in today’s culture represents forty percent of all families. But it’s not a new phenomenon. The Bible is filled with examples of the early fathers leading their blended families. From the time of Abraham to the kings of Israel, tales of blended families fill the pages of Scripture. Even Jesus was raised in a family with His mother and stepfather.
As you begin your journey leading a blended family, the most important aspect of your household is creating an atmosphere that nurtures your family’s spiritual life. When asked which was the greatest commandment, Jesus answered, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.” The spiritual goal of leading your family should be to create a home with a heart for God.
The task of spiritually leading your blended family may seem overwhelming. However, here are practical ways to help lead your family into greater spiritual growth.
1. More is caught than is taught. In a blended family, it’s critical to understand that the marriage bond is the most important one. Set the example for your family by letting them see you and your spouse consistently praying and studying Scripture together.
2. Go to church together. Find a church offering age-graded ministries where your family can connect to fellow believers. It’s also essential to take part as a family in worship services.
3. Create fun family nights. Spiritually growing your family should be an adventure. Offer some variety on these nights using times of devotion or talking about exciting Bible topics, which include fun activities and food.
4. Enjoy a bowl of Proverbs for breakfast. The book of Proverbs was written to instruct a child about reverencing God. It has 31 chapters matching the month’s 30-31 days. Each morning, choose a practical verse to read while having breakfast together. Be sure to use a Bible translation that is easy to understand.
5. End the day with God. Bedtime devotions and prayer are a wonderful way to end the day. When children are young, develop a routine of reading aloud a kid’s devotions and offering a brief prayer to end the day. This will help develop a pattern as they grow when they individually end their day with God.
6. Look for teachable moments. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 talks about making God a natural part of our daily life. Look for moments when a life lesson can be taught. It could be talking about God’s creation while taking a walk together. It may be discussing how to respond after someone suddenly pulls in front of you while driving.
7. Participate in a family mission project. Jesus taught the second greatest commandment was to love others as yourself. This truth can be learned by engaging your family in local mission projects. These projects will be life-changing. It can be as simple as keeping God’s world clean by picking up rubbish in the neighborhood. It could be serving others by helping at a food bank or in a soup kitchen during the holidays.
Being the spiritual leader in your home takes prayer, planning, and a loving commitment. It took Jesus three years to develop a spiritual family to survive and thrive. If it took Jesus, our Spiritual Role Model, that length of time, it should give us hope that our commitment to spiritually lead our new family is truly worth the effort.
Dig Deeper
1. Invest time in researching devotional tools that will aid you in leading your family. Be sure they are age appropriate.
2. Sit down with your spouse and calendar times when your family is together and plan your special activities.
