You want your family to follow Jesus. I’m right there with you. But each person has unique challenges to getting an adequate view.
As you think about your family today, what greatest hindrances block their connection to Jesus?
- Doubt – Maybe your family member has intellectual blockades that oppose the idea that God is with him or her.
- Guilt – Your family member may have a sense of regret from sinful decisions that invokes an idea that God doesn’t want him or her.
- Experience – Maybe your family member struggles in this technological age to understand that a connection with God isn’t initiated through a device.
- Desire – Your family member may be aware of God’s willingness but are honestly lacking a desire for his or her own.
Which one is blocking the signal more than the others? Why do you think it is that way?
Just as the woman at the well shared her story of encountering Jesus with others (John 4:28-30), have you ever shared your story with your family?
- Do your children know of how Jesus initiated contact with you?
- Is your spouse aware of your commitment?
- Do your parents know your faith as tangible?
- Is your extended family aware that Jesus is more than a mere association in your life?
Your testimony can be an excellent tool in God’s hands for your family’s growth. Think about how you can share with your family regarding how God reached out to you at first and how He still reaches out to you today.
PRAY
As you think through that greatest hindrance in your family’s life, pray that God would break through it today.
In Psalm 46, the psalmist speaks of how God connects with us like a river gladdening a city. Pray these words over your family by taking a phrase and expanding upon it.Â
There is a river – its streams delight the city of God, the holy dwelling place of the Most High. God is within her; she will not be toppled. God will help her when the morning dawns. Nations rage, kingdoms topple; the earth melts when he lifts his voice. The LORD of Armies is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold (Ps. 46:4-7).
Jesus desires to encounter your family despite their hindrances. Pray for opportunities to share your story and to point to the truth. Pray that God can use you as a part of their life-changing stories.
Travis Agnew serves as the Lead Pastor of Rocky Creek Church in Greenville, SC. His most recent book is Just (About) Married.