JDL - Direction Eighteen - Family Devotions

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. (Acts 2:42 (ESV))

Understanding that our Lord’s usual way of working with us, of coming to us to give us His good gifts and blessings, is mediately, rather than immediately, that is, His usual way of coming to us is through means rather than directly, we begin to understand the importance of our making regular (every day and every Sunday) and diligent (careful and purposeful) use of those things through which He comes to us. In other words, since our Lord’s usual way of coming to us to give us His good gifts and blessings is through the means of grace, the Word (the Bible) and the Sacraments (Holy Baptism and the Lord’s Supper), and confession and absolution, we will want to make sure that we are reading and hearing His Word, confessing our sins and hearing words of absolution, remembering our Baptism, and partaking of the Lord’s body and blood for the forgiveness of sins.

Our first teachers are our parents. With that in mind, we are also reminded of the axiom which says that “more is caught than taught.” In other words, our first teachers are our parents, but they teach us more by what they do and how they live than what they actually tell us. If you ever wonder why a child thinks, speaks or acts the way s/he does, if it is your child, go look in the mirror. If it is someone else’s child, then look at those parents. Children watch and imitate. Unfortunately (and maybe fortunately at times) some adults are the same way; they watch their favorite sports hero or other such hero and imitate them.

The upshot of all this is that children will also imitate the spiritual life led by and modeled by their parents. As the parent is seen living a life of faith, so the child will imitate that life of faith in their own life. As the parent is seen showing how important are the means of grace, so they will be important to the child. As the parent shows how important are divine service, Bible Class, personal and family devotions, so the child will grow up knowing and living their importance as well.

Family devotions are a way to build a solid foundation for one’s family. Family devotions may be as simple as reading a Bible verse and a children’s devotion book story (all age appropriate) and then having a prayer. Or they may be as elaborate as singing hymns or songs, having extensive Bible readings and reading something for each age person in the family. One suggestion would be to have family devotions immediately following a meal time. This devotion would be geared for the youngest child that may comprehend what is happening. And then have a bed time devotion or other Bible reading that is age appropriate for each child; thus, there is the personal aspect of devotion time and the corporate aspect of family devotion time.

Certainly family devotion time will reflect a conversation with God. God speaking to us through His Word and our speaking to Him in prayer, thus conversation. Family devotions may also reflect the beginning of an understanding of the ebb and flow of divine service. God speaks to us, and we speak back to Him. As the children grow older, family devotions may include more reading and responsive reading from and with the children.

As we said from early on, a Jesus-directed life begins early, even from birth, as this is caught by the children from the fathers and carries on from generation to generation (Duet. 6:4-9). When we absent ourselves from the means through which our Lord comes to us, then we are refusing the gifts He has to give. As we make use of His means, with His help and by His leading and through the power of the Holy Spirit, then we are uplifted, strengthened and indeed, directed by Him.

Think About
How do you reflect and imitate what you learned from your parents, either verbally or non-verbally? How do your children reflect and imitate what they have learned from you, either verbally or non-verbally?

Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for those persons You have placed in my life that have been good examples for me. Forgive me when I have not be a good example of a Christian in my own life, and help me to do better. For Jesus’ sake. Amen.