6 Ways to Build a Foundation for Faith-Based Family Leadership

by Shopify API November 30, 2020

By John Richardson

One of my favorite photos is a picture of me with my small children—who are now grown and living on their own—sitting in their pajamas on the couch as I read a bedtime Bible story. I cherish that photo because it captures the faith-based impact I desired to make with my children.

But if I’m being totally honest, this scene was often interrupted by illness, cleaning the kitchen from dinner, late meetings, broken appliances, squabbles, or exhaustion. While my wife and I strove to read the Bible and pray regularly, I discovered that spiritually leading my family was more about maximizing everyday opportunities than about simply sitting for family devotions.

Faith-based family leadership is an ongoing process. Here are six tips to share with the men in your ministry to encourage them to be spiritual leaders in their homes.

Watch your own life and heart. Before men can influence their families in the faith, they must be on a personal path of spiritual growth. They can then guide their families along the same paths of spiritual growth that they are currently walking. Personal prayer, reflection, and reading God’s Word will position them to help their families grow.
Show vulnerability, not perfection. Being the spiritual leader of the family does not mean you must always be right or that you never fail. Your mistakes are opportunities to model the grace and mercy that God gives freely to us all. Transparency improves family relationships.
Embed spiritual lessons in all of life. This was the way of Jesus with his disciples, and it should be the way we guide our families in the faith too. Disappointment, temptation, grief, and other struggles give you a chance to show you care and an opportunity to point to God’s provision in Christ. Even everyday experiences can illustrate God’s love, faithfulness, and mercy.
Accept family members as they are. If we are going to have an impact on family members, we must begin with who they are, not who we want them to be. This is where trust is built and a shared vision for change can grow.
Talk and listen. Shepherding the hearts and lives of family members requires deep interaction. Resist the effort to fix every problem. Instead, engage in conversations that delve into underlying motivation and desires. This is where connections are made and where change happens.
Serve others. Find regular ways to prioritize the needs and interests of your family members. This may be in big ways such as working to provide income for your family, and in small ways such as filling the car with gas or doing the dishes after a family meal.

Leading our families spiritually is ultimately about doing all we can to facilitate each family member’s walk with the Lord. There is no greater responsibility and no greater privilege!