| 1 Timothy 2:5 |
"...for if someone does not know how to manage his own household how will he care for God's church?"
The older I get, and even more, the more I see my family grow, I am finding that my goals, aspirations, and desires change more and more. Or maybe my focus for discipleship is being challenged and shifted the more I see my kids begin to grow.
Ultimately, the verse above is such a challenge to me, and one that I desire to faithfully uphold.
I'll be honest. Leading a family is hard work. I thank God that He has counted me faithful to serve His church full time in ministry, but with that comes the understanding that my family is the primary focus of my discipling. And in all truth, that can be hard to remember. Sometimes I can be reminded of my role of discipleship, probably because of my lack of discipleship. You know what I mean? Like when I see my flaws and sinful qualities displayed in my little girls. Sin creeps in, can corrupt easily, and Satan desires nothing more than to see my house fall apart...Because if we can't lead those closest to us, how can we expect to impact those around us? Especially those in the church?!
This summer has been in full swing. We have kept our family busy. It seems like every weekend we've been going and doing. We've laughed a lot, had a lot of fun, had some melt downs, had some frustrations, but the Lord is challenging and capturing my heart more and more for the sake of my family.
What a blessing it is to be entrusted with a wife who desires to follow me as I follow Christ. What a privilege it is to be entrusted with the hearts of two little girls, who will either be impacted by the world or by the gospel of Jesus! There is no greater call, and I know that the greatest joy I could ever imagine would be to see that my children are walking with the Lord.
So...sorry for the mushiness, but I have had some incredible weeks with these beautiful girls, and the Lord is using them to show me my weaknesses, and challenging me to love them more, pray for them more, and to prioritize the worship that takes place in my own home before worrying about the worship taking place in my church.
I am praising God today for the blessing that is my family, my disciples, my church. May my worship leading start with them, and together our hearts praise the name of Jesus.