Not too long ago, the head coach of the boy’s track team of my former high school approached me about becoming an assistant track coach. As God’s providence would have it, the school is directly across the street from my church. Having the opportunity to work with local high school students in my community was a great blessing for me as an alumnus and also as a local pastor. Many of the kids on the team play multiple sports, football being the primary sport. Throughout the season and building relationships with the students, you can hear their dreams and desires for their future.
For many kids, sports are the ticket to college and beyond, and they see an even bigger dream of playing sports professionally. While not a wrong aspiration, it indeed is a long shot. The NCAA published a report that stated in football alone, only 6.5 of high school students play in college, and of those, the NFL drafts 1.6%. While the chances of our kids becoming professional athletes are small, the percentage is extremely high. They will become husbands, wives, parents, business owners, and employees. You get the more significant point; we are preparing our children for the bigger picture of life, where they are released into the world ready to stand on what they believe and live as lights in a dark world.
My wife and I always joke when we find our boy’s rooms messy about who will apologize to their spouses for their messiness. We hope our sons and daughters will marry one day, so how we raise them matters. Yet, more than this, these image-bearers need to know the Lord for themselves before they leave our homes. Parenting is a joy, but it is a hard job. Parents are attacked on all sides today. Even in godly homes with safeguards put in place, the devil works through technology, culture, and music to sway our children away from the safety and instruction of their parents. On top of all this, we have the naturally sinful nature of our children that often desires to follow their way and not obey the instruction of their parents.
So often, we can think our labor in our homes is in vain. One reason is that when you are in the thick of the fight, throwing in the towel is easier than going another round. The Bible tells us, “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” 1 Corinthians 15:58. Why does it matter to see Jesus in our families? Because the next generation matters? When we first moved back home to Plant Connect Church of Algiers, the church I pastor, we made this statement often. One individual transformed by the Gospel is a home that will never be the same. Yet an entire home transformed by the Gospel can impact a neighborhood and the city. See, the cascading effect of the power of the Gospel in homes leads to a transformation around us.
As servants in the Kingdom of God, it is a privilege and joy to live our lives for Jesus. Knowing that when he returns, we will stand before him to give an account of our lives. Romans 14:12 tells us, “So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.” This accounting is not salvific as we are saved by grace, through faith in Christ alone. We trust Jesus and his finished work on the cross for our salvation. However, as followers of Christ, we must value our relationship with the Lord and our work for the Lord. A steward is simply a manager, given charge of caring for that which belongs to the Master. They take great care, knowing they will have to one day give an account to the Master who owns it all. Our families matter to the Lord. He cares for them in the good and bad times. Seeing Jesus in the family means we are stewards; this stewardship is not a burden but a joy.
Our homes may not be perfect, but they can be places of peace and joy and full of Jesus. Seeing Jesus in our homes begins with intentional gospel living. As Christian parents, we are called to live out what we believe in our daily life and pass this truth down to our children. You may not have grown up in a home like this, but today can be the start of this type of home. For some reading this, the thought of changing your home overwhelms you. Others may feel they need to be more qualified for the task. However, the scripture tells us God gives us grace when we feel weak. 2 Corinthians 12:9 says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses so that Christ’s power may reside in me.” Your family can flourish, yet this can only happen with Christ at the center. Family is God’s design, and our families can bring glory to Jesus. Go forth and see Jesus glorified in your family.
As summer approaches, have you considered slowing down and resetting your family?
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