7 Ways Your Family Can Serve the Lord

As a parent, I strive each day to lead my family in their faith journey and teach them about serving the Lord.  But I’ll be honest….it’s rather difficult.  There are days when I feel like I’m doing a pretty good job and other days when I stink at it.

Yet there is one thing I will not do.

Give up.

I refuse to allow the enemy to keep me and my family from serving the Lord.  I refuse to stop teaching my kids about Jesus.  I refuse to throw in the towel when life gets hard.  I want my family to serve the Lord.

Here are seven ways I believe that can help my family and your family in serving the Lord:

 1.  Put God First

Parents, first and foremost, must make a conscious decision to put God first in all they do.  They must decide whom they will serve.  Will they serve the world and all its lies and temptations or will they serve the Lord?  I love what Joshua says in Scripture when he is talking to the Israelites:  “Choose this day whom you will serve…but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15).  Joshua made a decision that day for his family.  A decision that affected not only his life but the life of his family.  And what a wise decision that was.  We as parents must do the same thing for our family.  We must choose to serve God and put Him first in our life.

2.  Go to Church    

The church was established by God.  He asks us to come together to serve and worship Him.  I love the church, but I know there are families who struggle with going to church for many different reasons.  No matter what your reason, I believe it all boils down to number one above…putting God first.  When God is first in your family’s life, you will naturally want to worship Him, learn more about Him and gather with other fellow believers at church.

3.  Show Kindness

When we show kindness to others we are serving the Lord.  Kindness can be sprinkled over others through our words or actions.  Teach your children to share encouraging words to their siblings (sometimes that’s easier said than done).  Encourage your children in their school work and sports.  Smile.  Be positive.  Do a random act of kindness for someone else together as a family.  Show kindness because that’s what Jesus did.

4.  Forgive Each Other

It’s so important to seek forgiveness from your family.  Repent to the Lord, apologize to your family members, and then move on.  Don’t be bitter about the past.  Don’t say you’ll forgive but you’ll never forget.  What good is that?  Don’t let the hurt keep you from loving each other.  God forgives us so we need to forgive one another.  Serve the Lord by showing the forgiveness He gives to other people.

5.  Pray Together

You’ve probably heard the saying, “A family that prays together, stays together.”  Maybe a little cheesy for you, but I firmly believe this to be true.  We must not only be praying to the Lord in our own personal walk with Him, but we need to be praying together as a family:  in the car, at the dinner table, before your child plays in a game, at bedtime, and even at random times during the day.  When a family comes together for prayer, it is powerful.

6.  Have a Family Devotion

Serving the Lord can be done together as a family when you take the time to learn more about God and His Word.  This can be done at any time, but probably the easiest time to do it is at the dinner table.  While you are eating, open your Bible and share your favorite Scripture or even just one of your favorite Bible stories.  If you want a devotional for your family you can check out my book, Breakfast with Jesus: 100 Devotions for Kids About the Life of Jesus. This is a great way to teach your kids all about Jesus. Or if you are wanting to do more in the Word, check out this 12-Month Family Scripture Challenge I have created just for families like yours! Spending time together as a family learning about the Lord is so beneficial for every family member.

7.  Do a Service Project

Find ways that your family can serve the Lord by serving others in your community.  Take a Saturday to do yard work for a neighbor, pick up trash in your local park, pack a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child, make no-sew blankets for kids in the hospital, bake cookies for local law enforcement.  Service projects are a hands-on way for your family to serve the Lord.

What are some ways your family chooses to serve the Lord?