Although the church must teach the whole counsel of God, it is the home where our spiritual foundation must first be laid. In Joshua 24, Joshua made it clear that the man (as head of the household) must take the lead and be the one to make the decision to have family worship.
In Joshua 24:14-15, there are 3 points to note:
1) v 14: It is a command to fear the Lord and serve Him.
2) v 15: It is a choice to worship God. Because of the hardness of heart, the Israelites failed to eliminate the enemies. Hence they had to choose whether to serve God or the idols of the land.
3) v 15: Godly leadership will influence others. Joshua's influence is so effective that many followed him (v 31), at least till the next generation. God-fearing parents must rely on God for strength to raise their children in the godly manner, not carnal ways. Fearing God will make us draw closer to Him and to hate evil and sin.
Service also means worship. We are to worship God in fear, for only then can we worship Him in spirit and in truth. The 2 extreme views to avoid are:
1. adopting entirely a puritanical form of family worship
2. adopting a cannot-be-bothered attitude, considering family worship as outdated.
Pointers for starting family worship:
¤ Who: at least 2 believers in the family
¤ Frequency: depends on individual family members’ commitment. Twice daily is ideal. If not, once daily, or a few times a week/month
¤ Content: singspiration, reading of Scripture, prayer
¤ Duration: short
¤ Venue: where there is least interruptions and distractions
2 Timothy 3:4-5 warns us about those who love pleasures more than God. Is that why we fail to have family worship? Family worship helps to knit the family together. It promotes family gathering in the name of the Lord and opens the way to coming to God as a family. May your home be the place where family worship is found.
No comments:
Post a Comment