The Witness of Family

“’You are My witnesses,’ declares the Lord, ‘And My servant whom I have chosen…I, even I, am the Lord; And there is no savior besides Me…So you are My witnesses,’ declares the Lord, ‘And I am God.’”  - Isaiah 43:10-12

The world around us is changing at a head-spinning pace. Technology that was groundbreaking only a few years ago is now regarded as outdated. Our neighborhoods and cities look vastly different than they did only a few years ago. Public education is different. Healthcare is changing. Entertainment and social media are changing almost daily. If you stop for a moment and look around, it is almost too much to absorb. Some of these changes are good, and some are bad; but like it or not, this is the world we are living in.

There are some things, however, that will never change. One is God’s design and intention of the family. It glorifies Christ when our families display His character. God desires that our homes be saturated with grace and truth.  He created marriage to be a model of Christ and the Church. Likewise, He established the family unit as a hub for disciple-making and missions.

Do you view your family and home with this eternal perspective? As Christians, we are witnesses of God. That means we know first-hand His love, forgiveness, grace, mercy, power, discipline, holiness, honor, worth, faithfulness, kindness, gentleness, and patience (just to name a few).  Do our families reflect this knowledge? Do faithfulness, kindness, and forgiveness flow in and out of our homes?

What would happen if, as God’s people, we began to understand the eternal impact of family? What if we viewed our families and homes as our chief witnessing tool to proclaim the glory of Christ and the message of the gospel? We must exalt and honor Christ in our homes. It is time to treat our marriages as the gospel-picture that God created them to be. We must elevate our parenting from raising well-educated, well-behaved kids to raising disciples of Jesus who will follow Him anywhere at any cost.

The world is not going to slow down. In fact, the pace will likely only increase.  In light of this reality, we must be intentional in our families. By the grace of Christ, we must discern what is eternally important amid the never-ending to-do lists that pull from every side. Only then will our families be a witness of the gospel.

Heavenly Father, please help me to slow down. Give me listening ears for Your voice as You guide my steps. Please use my family and my home as a witness of Your grace. In Jesus’ name, amen.