3 Simple Ways To Lead Your Family and Grow Their Faith
Joshua Blankenship
“I wish you would just trust me.”
“I wish you would make it easier for me to trust you.”
And so went the cycle for the first few years of our marriage. And neither of us knew how to fix it.
If you’ve been in church for very long, you’ve probably heard a pastor talk about “being the spiritual leader” of the home. But be honest, when you wake up tomorrow, do you have any clue how to do that? I didn’t.
Leading your family isn't easy, but it is simple.
What does it mean to lead your wife? Or your kids? It can’t be the same thing as leading a project at work, a weekend softball team, or a Call Of Duty campaign. It’s got to be more super-spiritual than that, right?
The bad news? Leading your family isn’t easy. The good news? It is simple. And as crazy as this may sound in the midst of your daily routine, God wants to help you do it.
3 Simple Ways To Lead Your Family and Grow Their Faith
1. Open the Bible together.
“Devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching” (1 Timothy 4:13). This is easier than it sounds. You don’t have to be a Bible scholar or a pastor. You just have to show up.
God’s Word is “living and active” (Hebrews 4:12). Reading and knowing the Bible means getting to know God, and knowing Him means becoming more like Him. If we’re becoming more like Jesus, our family will follow our leadership.
Get a translation of the Bible you and your family can understand. If you don’t know where to begin, try a Bible reading plan or read along with our daily devotionals. Whatever the method, the key is to expose your family to God’s Word so you know Him.
2. Make your family a priority with your time and attention.
“I want you to put forth as much effort at home as you do at work...”
My wife was right—my priorities were supposed to be God first, my wife and family second, then my other obligations. I didn’t realize I was showing my family with my actions and my energy that I valued my work more than them.
Husbands, we have a scriptural mandate to provide for our families (1 Timothy 5:8), but if my family doesn’t know me in any capacity other than provider, I’ve failed to love my wife as Christ loves the church (Ephesians 5:25–27), and I’ve failed to train a child in the way he/she should go (Proverbs 22:6). If I’m only the provider, I’ve failed them as a leader.
We began making changes to ensure that I still had energy when I got home. We started rearranging our weekly schedule, saying yes to less, and setting better boundaries for work.
Family is one of the only lasting investments we can make. And time is the most valuable, limited resource in the world. Invest it well.
3. Do what you say you’re going to do.
I want my wife to trust me, but I have to be trustworthy first. I have to let my “yes” be “yes” (Matthew 5:37).
When I initiate with integrity, my wife responds with trust. It’s easier for her to follow my lead when she knows I’m aware of my promises and I’m fighting to fulfill them.
Yes, I make mistakes. And yes, I sin. But God is faithful to forgive my sins when I confess them. If you make it your goal to do what you say you’re going to do when you say you’re going to do it, and you repent when you fall short, you will build a foundation that will change your life and your marriage—you’ll build trust.