Word for the day "The Lord's heart for family"
Colossians 3:18-21(NKJ) Wives, be subject to your husbands, Husbands, love your wives, Fathers, do not exasperate your children.
We must learn the Heart of God for our family.
God works in our lives primarily through committed relationships. Your family is the primary school for your character development.This is precisely the order of Scripture: Establish your identity in Christ, then focus on living out who you are at home.Notice the order in (Colossians 3:10-25). How are things in your family life? God has kingdom plans for His people – plans He designed uniquely for us so that His will might be done on this earth.God purposefully intends to use our families for His glory. We must develop the characteristics of His heart and cooperate with His purposes to use us in radical, counter-culture, kingdom-advancing ways.God’s great goal for His children is that we conform to His image: “Put on the new self” (verse 10).Our identity is no longer in racial, religious, cultural or social ties: “There is no distinction, but Christ is all and in all” (verse 11).Character is the focus of development once identity is established: “Put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience” (verse 12).Character is developed in the context of relational living: “Bearing with one another, and forgiving each other” (verse 13).Love is the highest level of character development: “Beyond all these things put on love” (verse 14).The means by which all this is accomplished is Christ in you: “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.
The Lord's design for the family is to bring Glory to His name.
As a parent, you are not just shaping your child’s behavior, you are developing her/his character.Training a child means disciplining her/him to be Christ-like. Don’t be a phony at home; your spouse and children will see right through it.You can’t model perfection, but you can model growth. It is so critical to know that children are never too young to understand and soak up the deep things of God.Their young hearts long for an encounter with the living Lord, and once they experience God and connect with Him heart to heart, they will never go back.They will long for the next opportunity to sense the Lord’s connection and to see Him work powerfully in and through them to accomplish His plans and purposes on this earth.Parents and grandparents unless we stop entertaining our children and start allowing them to have encounters with Jesus, we will lose successive generations.Help them to set their hearts on things above (Colossians 3:1-2) and not upon the culture in which they live, for the kingdom belongs to them (Matthew 19:14). God has made the hearts of our families to reflect His glory.
Point to ponder
God has such a heart for families that he will encourage parents to carry out His purposes. We cannot carry out God’s plans when we are not united in loving relationships that reflect the character of Christ in our homes.The Church will not experience unity and revival until our families begin to do so. God designed the family to be the primary training ground for children.Prayer: Lord, help us be the spouses and parents You want us to be by remaining committed to being a growing child of God, In Christ name Amen!
Special thanks!
Our Leadership team is especially thankful for those of you who provided financial donations and support in the month of October 2018 by partnering with us in efforts to advance the kingdom of God in this 21st century season: Special thanks to Mr. William Wilson, Ms. Kersha Brown, Ms. Quiana Volney, Ms. Annette Straker, Mr. David Straker, Mr. Kenneth Washington, Ms. Cynthia George, Ms. Rita Mcguffin, Mother Itholear Abbott, Mrs. Angela Harrison, Mrs. Barbara Mason, Mrs. Linda Patterson, and Ms. Gertrude Scott.Thank you for using the Word Cup devotionals brought to you through Grace and Truth Leadership. Why don’t you take the opportunity to write to us on our blog and let us know how we are doing in serving you, Great people.We are a faith-based, donor-supported ministry. If you have been touched by these daily devotionals and would like to make a monthly pledge or a special gift of any amount, please use the link below to give as the Lord leads.Follow me on Twitter @James Baker_jr as I endeavor to encourage and empower leaders of today and tomorrow!Kingdom Blessings,Pastor James Baker, Jr.