Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today- June 16, 2012
“But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15
What does it mean to be the spiritual leader of my home? Do I have to reach a certain level of spiritual maturity before I qualify? What if my wife is more spiritual than I am? Shouldn’t she be the spiritual leader? Spiritual leadership is determined by position, not knowledge. God places a man in the role of spiritual leader to lead his wife and children in faith.
Our wives and children may know more of the Bible, but the Lord still holds us responsible for their spiritual well being. So as husbands and fathers, we have to ask ourselves, “What are we doing to lead our family spiritually?” This non-optional assignment from Almighty God forces us into a faith-based behavior. We want to model daily time in Bible reading and prayer. Spiritual leaders show the way in knowing God.
“The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family” (Acts 16:34).
Spiritual leadership does not require a graduate degree in theology, but it does require a degree of planning and preparation. Spiritual leaders create a prayerful plan of intentional action that exposes their families to faith opportunities. You spend time looking for houses of worship that meet the needs of your wife and child, much as you would seek out the right home or school that also meets their needs. Spiritual leadership seeks out a church.
“Let us go to his dwelling place; let us worship at his footstool“ (Psalm 132:7).
Men who make it a big deal to lead their family spiritually make the most difference at home and in the community. Your investment in family Bible study, your example of faith under fire, and your Christ like character are living testaments to the truth of God.
Talk about the Lord when you linger in traffic with your children, pray with them when they are fearful and upset, hold your wife’s hand and listen to her heart, sign up for the next marriage retreat, and serve others unselfishly. You can’t control the culture, but you and your house can serve the Lord. Spiritual leaders lead their family to love God.
“For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything” (Ephesians 5:23-24).
How can I take responsibility to lead my family spiritually? How can I leave a legacy for the Lord?
Related Readings: 2 Samuel 12:20; Psalm 100:4; Acts 18:7; 2 Timothy 1:16
Post/Tweet this today: Fathers lead your family to love the Lord. #love #lead
Taken from Reading #25 in the 30-day devotional book, “Wisdom for Fathers”… http://bit.ly/InvUdR
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I was so excited when I saw this! Please help clarify more on my role please. I was saved after I married my husband who I love and have a great marriage with. He allows me & our sons to attend church faithfully (3x week) and has expressed our marriage is better now because I am a Christian. Anyway a lady came up to me and told me I need to be sneaky and go through my sons cell phone and make sure my teenager is not up to bad things because I am the spiritual leader and I have great responsibility to God. I did and his phone is clean. I was basically told to step up and lead my kids in parenting because I am the saved one, answer to God, for which next week her husband Preached (our Pastor away) kids shouldnt have cell phones. I do agree but my husband got my son his cell phone. I’m confused! Obey husband with his parenting choices or try to figure out a way to lead the kids without dad because our ways are different? 🙁
Amen!
i am usually not fond of talks on Dads . .. Yet some reason this and the last 2 devotions have given me peace!
This is so wonderful!
Blessed are the households who have fathers that are true spiritual leaders. It is a God given position that few take responsibility for. And, perhaps that is why our families and our country are in such disarray.
I am in disagreement with the comments that state a father is a “spisritual leader”. The word “head” can mean “source”. Equality was practiced and preach by Jesus and Paul both. Jesus NEVER states that a father is a leader – leader is never mentioned in the New Testament they are always referred to as servants, apostles or shepherds.
I am sorry, it’s not just the cell phone issue but video games, movies, tv programs, music… I have been speaking up that some things are excessively violent to play (video games) but my husband tells me it’s fine so I haven’t argued. Do I need to stand my ground as I believe God would want this or stay submissive even though I am unequally yoked? My husband doesn’t like to be questioned, he is a great leader but I want to do what is right.
Awesome info, but I had learned awhile back from reading scripture (don’t have it in front of me now) and from a discussion with other bible study women that women have the God given role to be the spiritual leaders in the family. Men are in charge of being head of the household, but not the spiritual leaders. Great info. that can be applied to the man or the woman, whichever is best for each individual family. I know in my family, I was blessed with the role to be the spiritual leader.
I understand and agree with this teaching completely. But, I do have a problem. I divorced before I became a Christian and now am raising my grandson without a husband in the home. Who then becomes the spiritual leader? Do I step into this role or do I go to the pastor of my church (we do have one we attend regularly) as the father of our family. I would think it would be me as the next adult in the household but I do not wish to go against God’s plan for our lives. Can anyone give guidance on this little question?
It does not require a choice between leader and servant. Husbands are to be the spiritual leader of their family. The key is in how it is lived out. There is no doubt that Jesus is the Leader of His church and no doubt that He is the greatest servant of the church. Ephesians 5:25 says that husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church. The key word is “as”, which means “in the same way” – sacrificially. We husbands are to be “servant-leaders” because that’s the example Jesus set for us. Notice in “servant-leader”…which word comes first. Many people have trouble with this passage, but after studying it closely, many women have decided that a man who understands this is a leader they love following.