Bear Hunt: You Have to Go Through ItEgzanp

I have three kids under the age of four. They are crazy. My life is crazy. I love every bit of it, but I would be lying if I didn’t tell you that we have really hard days. If you are breathing, then you know that family can be hard. God speaks about family a lot in the Bible. He talks about how important it is and the honor it can be to have a father and mother and be a father and mother.

I’ve also noticed that God likes to give pictures. When I was a child, I wanted to grow up to be a professional baseball player. I started playing at four years old and played all through college. Every time I would step on the field, I would image myself stepping into a grand stadium with thousands of fans. This picture didn’t come out of nowhere--it came from countless hours of watching baseball with my dad. I would go to games and envy the players in the dugout. I had a picture in my mind of the end goal and that picture is what gave me the motivation to keep playing and keep practicing. 

I believe that pictures are always better than principles. Pictures give you something to think about, focus on, and aim for. They can be the goal that keeps you on track when you are feeling tired and worn out. In family, I think it’s equally important to have a picture. I’ve been blessed to have a few seasoned men and women in my life who are further along in the journey than I am to encourage me and remind me of the reward at the end of the hard days and long nights. 

Psalm 127:3 says that children are a heritage from God. The word heritage is na·ḥă·laṯ in Hebrew, and it means portion. This is important because God has a calling on all of our lives to go and make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20). How is God going to use us to make disciples throughout the whole world? By giving us a na·ḥă·laṯ, a portion.

Even though you may not like it sometimes, your family is your number one priority. We are to start making disciples with them first. This looks like being loving, kind, and patient, even when we don’t necessarily feel like it. It is the portion God has given us in His incredible act of delegation. Are we just raising kids? Or are we making disciples? 

Luke 16:10 reminds us to be faithful with the little things so that God will trust us with the big things. Everyone wants to make a big impact on the kingdom, but what if the first and greatest impact God needs you to make is right in your own home? 

Our home is a beautiful place because it’s a place we can sharpen our gifts and character before we enter into the world. It’s a place where we can fail and offer forgiveness and grace and become sanctified so that our work outside of the home can be even greater.