How the Family of God Can Help the Family to Grow Spiritually
When it comes to spiritual growth in the family, families often struggle to know where to begin. It can be helpful to think of what it means to be part of God’s family.
Human beings are invited by God to share in a direct relationship with him through his Son and Spirit. They are called to inherit a glorious and righteous eternity with him in the future.
1. Read the Bible Together
When God invites people into His family, they become members of His divine family, the same kind of being as His Father and Christ, sharing in direct relationships with the Father and the Son and with other human members of the family through the Spirit. The inheritance these new members receive is not a temporal material possession, but the eternal life of the Father in a resurrected body on a new earth (Ephesians 1:19-20; Colossians 1:27; Hebrews 13:14).
As you read the Bible together with your family, take notes and discuss it together. If you are having difficulty understanding something in the text, ask for help. Many churches have groups that gather regularly to study the Bible and offer resources to assist you. You may also want to get a good study Bible that includes articles that will aid your understanding of the biblical text and its history, culture, and meaning.
In the early church, the practice of reading and discussing scripture was common and a major part of the believers' spiritual growth (Acts 14:23; Acts 17:2; Romans 16:17; Ephesians 4:15; Galatians 4:6). They gathered to hear the scriptures read aloud, taught them in synagogues and lecture halls, evangelized along riverbanks and in marketplaces, and even carried their Bibles with them wherever they went (Acts 17:2). Reading and studying scripture together unites a community.
If you don't have a regular reading and discussion time in your home, start one. Choose a short passage to read and talk about. There are many great resource available to make this easy, including family devotional books and scripture memorization CD's. ReFrame Ministries has a great tool called Today, that sends you a daily reading and discussion topic. It is a great way to begin this practice and build on it over time.
2. Serve the Lord
The Bible teaches that God wants His family to grow spiritually. Just as babies need a physical family to help them physically grow, the spiritually mature need a spiritual family to guide them and help them become like Christ. The church provides a special framework for us to do just that. We find accountability, encouragement, and fellowship. The church also helps provide a variety of ways for the whole family to serve the Lord. This can include serving in the children’s ministry, serving on the elder board, or even helping at local food banks and shelters. As you serve together, you can model for your children how to have compassion on others and love Jesus.
Another way that the family can serve the Lord is by praying together. While prayer is often seen as a private and personal thing, it can be an effective way for families to grow spiritually. Praying together as a family can help your children to understand how to talk to God and how to seek His wisdom. Praying together can also provide you with strength to deal with the daily stresses of life. When you take your problems to the Lord in prayer, He will provide you with His grace and help you through those difficult times.
In addition to serving the Lord, prayer, and worshipping, the Bible teaches that it is important for families to be in fellowship with other believers. This is an essential part of our spiritual growth and is something that we need to be intentional about. This can be done by visiting other churches, attending Christian conferences, or simply spending time in a home church with other believers.
The most important thing for a family to remember is that they are part of the La Familia De Dios. When you receive Christ as your Savior, you are brought into the family of God, which includes all who believe in Jesus and call Him Father. This is a divine family, led by the Father and Christ the firstborn son, which will be joined in eternity future by a multitude of other members who are His children (see Ephesians 1:13; 4:18).
3. Encourage Each Other
As members of God’s family, believers are commanded to support each other. This is done through encouraging each other in the faith, and also by expressing love and appreciation for one another. This is especially true for the parents in the family, who are the primary spiritual influencers of their children.
Besides verbally teaching their children in the home, parents can encourage each other by taking opportunities to praise and thank the Lord together as a family. It is a great idea to set aside a day or two of the week for family worship, and to make this time enjoyable, by using music and activities that will be engaging for the entire family.
In addition, the father can encourage his family by speaking of their spiritual heritage and calling them to remember what it means to be part of a special family that is greater than any earthly family. He can talk about how God created the world around them, and as they hear of the events that happen in the world, he can teach them about how Christ’s death and resurrection saved mankind from sin and gave each person eternal life.
The father can also encourage his family by talking to them about their spiritual future and the inheritance they will receive in heaven. He can explain that just as a child might inherit a financial or material fortune from their natural parents, so they will inherit an imperishable inheritance in heaven with Jesus Christ and their eternal father (Ephesians 1:11; Colossians 1:23; Hebrews 9:15).
These ideas are written from the vantage point of a family in a two-parent marriage that is committed to Christian values. But this type of encouragement is also needed for families where a single parent, or even multiple parents, are raising their children with Christian values. It will still take a lot of communication, cooperation and fortitude to foster the spiritual growth of these families. But there are many resources available, and with the right guidance these families can learn to encourage each other in their pursuit of the Lord.
4. Join a Small Group
Joining a small group is an effective way to get closer to God and help your family grow spiritually. These groups meet on a regular basis to learn together and provide an opportunity for all to participate and contribute to the discussion. It is a great place to develop and use spiritual gifts such as leadership, teaching, organization, serving, encouraging and more. Small group meetings also offer an opportunity for members to pray and encourage each other in a very intimate setting.
It is important to choose a small group that fits your family’s needs. The group should be a mix of people with different backgrounds and ages. The members should be friendly and supportive of one another. The group should be willing to spend time getting to know everyone and work through any conflicts that may arise.
Be sure to find out what the expectations are of your new group before you join. Most importantly, make a commitment to attend regularly. It is easy for life to get in the way of a weekly meeting, but if you are consistent, it will be easier to bond with your group members.
If you are leading a group, focus on building relationships and discussing the Bible. This will make it easier for members to engage in a meaningful discussion and will be more likely to encourage others to join. Also, it is important to follow the guidelines set forth by your pastor on how best to facilitate a Bible study.
Once you are part of the Family of God, you should try to love your brothers and sisters like Christ loves them. If you are having trouble loving your group, turn it over to the Lord who will resolve any conflict you may have. In addition, be sure to serve your group by helping them in any way possible – providing a ride to a job interview, a meal on a hectic day, a call to follow up on prayer requests or a visit to the hospital. These things will show them your love and will help them to bond with you.
When it comes to spiritual growth in the family, families often struggle to know where to begin. It can be helpful to think of what it means to be part of God’s family. Human beings are invited by God to share in a direct relationship with him through his Son and Spirit. They are called…