Fostering Family Devotionals
I could have easily titled this post, “How to Create Turmoil at Dinner.” I am not a very idealistic person, but I had this vision of my family gathered around the dinner table. Everyone satisfied and content after a home cooked meal. I clear my throat, open the Bible and every eye turns to me and my kids listen intently as I read from God’s word. We then have an age appropriate discussion applying the text to our hearts, followed by heartfelt prayers and a singing of Kumbaya. The kids politely ask to be dismissed from the table and get ready for bed in a spirit of quiet reflection. End scene.
What really happens is as soon as I reach for the Bible every child becomes one of three things – a clown with the antics (and voice) to draw a crowd in the middle of Time Square on New Year’s Eve, a condemned criminal crying out for freedom on her way to the gallows, or a sufferer of chronic fatigue syndrome that …can’t seem …to …keep…his head…off…the table…from…sheer…exhaustion. My warm family scene has turned into what I can only assume, is an average day in an institution for the criminally insane. Maybe this just reflects bad parenting, but if this scene looks anything like anything seen at your house, I believe there is hope.
Don’t own what isn’t ours to own. We are responsible to instruct our kids. Deut. 6:7 says, “Impress them (God’s ways) on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” We are called to create an environment that encourages spirituality but we cannot make them spiritually minded. We are commanded to teach, but we can’t make them learn. We are called to love the Lord our God with all our hearts and to do so openly, but we can’t force belief. As parents, we have a tendency to take too much credit for our kids failures and successes. Let’s remember we aren’t the Holy Spirit. It’s His job to open eyes and awaken souls.
Have Realistic Goals. Christian school kids have a unique scenario that many of us may not realize: they are surrounded by God talk all day long. As a parent and the Bible teacher at Upton Lake, I am grateful for the privilege of Bible class every day, chapel every week and Scripture memory tests every quarter, but let’s not forget our kids may experience it differently. So 9 out of 10 devotionals may not have the desired impact but there may be that 1 which sparks a conversation. Tons of verses will go right over their heads, but there will be that one verse which you will have opportunity to provide some clarification on (for example, after reading part of Luke 2 I was able to explain that Jesus wasn’t the constellation of Israel but the consolation of Israel and why that matters.) At the very least, it models and reveals our hearts for the Lord before our children.
Practical suggestions. The following are some suggestions I have seen and heard work. Experiment with what works for you and your family.
1. Keep it short. By the end of the day, most of our attention spans have been long exhausted. If something sparks conversation, great but there is no need to run anything into the ground. It isn’t the one 60 minute conversation that deeply impacts, it’s the 60 1 minute conversations that deeply impact. There is always tomorrow.
2. Bribery is my friend. Usually we don’t do dessert until after our devotional. If said clown, criminal and chronic fatigue sufferer can’t stay focused then his or her dessert will be waiting for them tomorrow.
3. Vary up the format. We rotate between devotional ideas. I recommend Keys for Kids. It’s an easy to use app with fresh devotionals every day. There is a suggested Scripture to read, a brief story, a key verse and a take away idea. Other days we read sections out of the Gospels and listen to the word of God, uncommented and unexpanded. Some days we use a yearly family devotional and just go off the date we happen to be on. God varied up His approach to instructing His people, we can too.
Keep at it. How many years did it take for Samson to call on the name of the Lord in humility? How many months did it take for David to repent of his sin with Bathsheba? How many steps on the road to Emmaus did it take for the disciples to understand the Messiah “had to suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” God is patient with us, let’s be patient with those we love the most. Here at Upton Lake we are seeking to join you in teaching to transform lives. Most of the lasting transformative moments happen outside of the classroom. The dinner table is a good place to start.
