Don’t Let These Fears Keep You From Building an Intentional Family

As you build your intentional family, you might have a lot of questions and even fears.

You might be asking:

• How can the Word of God fill my home when I don’t know but a handful of scriptures from memory myself?
• How can I teach my children when I don’t understand the entire Bible?
• What if I’m still figuring out this whole Christianity thing?
• What if I don’t have a church to take them to?

Or maybe you’re thinking:

• I don’t have the gift of service. I don’t even know how to help others, let alone think to bake an extra batch of cookies and teach my children to do the same.
• I am so impatient. I yell at my kids everyday even though I try so hard not to.
• My children could care less that I even put a roof over their heads. How can I make the Gospel important to them?

Or maybe this is you:

• My family sees me at all my worst moments. How will they ever see Christ in me? Won’t they see me as a hypocrite?
• I don’t want to force my beliefs on my child because that’s what happened to me and it took me ten years to come back to my faith.
• The only time I think to use scripture with my child is when I’m correcting her. I don’t want the Bible to be seen in a negative light.

The questions, the insecurities, and the sins that surface as we contemplate how to put actions to our faith are many.

Can you relate to any of this? I know we can.

And here is where I want to be really honest with you.

All of these insecurities, weaknesses, sins, and failures will be one of the greatest testimonies ever spoken to the people in your family.

You do not have all the answers. The Word of God does.

You are a sinner. Christ is sinless and perfect.

You cannot save your family members. It is in Christ’s hands.

God doesn’t need us, but He chooses to use us.

He wants to use you in the life of your family, and if you them nothing else in the years you are together, may your goal be to teach them that you have a great need.

A need so great that God sent His son to die for you.

A need so unfathomable you didn’t even know you needed a Savior until He revealed Himself to you.

A need so unbelievable that apart from the work of the Holy Spirit you would still be lost in your sin.

When it comes to building an intentional family, we have to get this one fact right: We need a Savior.

This is the main focus for my family – talking often about our need for Jesus in our lives.We cannot make ourselves clean. We cannot be good people, act right, and expect this to be enough.

We are broken, tainted, and unworthy to be called children of God, but Jesus made a way.

We’re all in this together. No one has arrived.

My greatest fear in parenting is that my children will know the Bible inside and out, they would know all God’s commandments, but they would not know their need for Jesus. Because knowing about God is not the same thing as being saved by God.

Being an intentional family starts and ends with our great need for a savior. Everything we do hinges on our right understanding of the Gospel.

And remember: Your faithfulness to share the gospel with your family members and their acceptance or rejection of the gospel is not a reflection of your worth or well-doing as a Christian.

Just because someone else’s child or parent accepted Jesus, doesn’t mean they are a better Christian or are more faithful in sharing Jesus than you.

God already has your family’s lives in His hands. We all have our own unique journey. You are simply called to share Jesus with those around you, especially those in your family. That’s it. The results are in His hands.

What fears do you have when it comes to sharing your faith with your family members?

Other posts you might enjoy:

• Becoming an Intentional Family Will Take Great Commitment
• What is an Intentional Family?
• A Scripture Memory System that Works {for kids & adults!}
• How We Do Family Devotions