Family Devotions?

Does the Bible teach us to have family devotions? Not that I'm aware of. I have "Bible time" with my kids as part of our home school and we pray as a family, but we've never been good at doing traditional family devotions. We talk about the Bible and how to live it as things happen, though.

Are family devotions a bad thing? Of course not. Kudos to those who do them! But sometimes I think we make too big of a deal about them and lack things that are more important.

"Fix these words of Mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking bout them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land..." Deuteronomy 11:18-21

These verses talk about making Scripture part of your family's everyday life, not just one compartment called "Bible time" or a "family devotion". For me, I've run into problems when I have my own devotion time, say 'amen' and then promptly forget everything I just read and prayed about.

We need to teach our children to walk with God throughout our day (and we need to do it as well, of course!). Living our faith is easy during family devotions (unless you have small children, then devotion time requires immense amounts of patience). It's when you close the Bible and start going through your day that walking with God gets difficult.

Purposefully look for opportunities throughout the day to teach Biblical principles to your kids. Write Bible verses on cards and hang them in places around your house to help you remember as well. Do your family devotions, but make sure you keep walking with God and teaching your kids to do so once the devotion is over!

Spiritual Eating Habits

As my age slowly creeps upward, I've found that keeping my weight where I want it gets harder. I actually have to watch what I eat now! I also seem to have a sensitive blood sugar, so I feel icky if I don't eat right.

In my attempt to eat healthy, I've noticed an interesting principle. Eating junk tends to make me crave more junk. Sometimes one helping makes me feel gross and I take the attitude, "Well, I feel icky anyway - might as well have have another." Or, one doesn't bother me and I figure that I can therefore afford to have another. Regardless, eating junk begets eating junk.

On the other hand, when I eat better food, I feel better and crave sweets less. Eating well begets continually eating well.

I think there is a parallel in the spiritual world. It's been quite a challenge to set aside time to spend with God alone. I used to be a morning person, but I definitely am not any more. But, if don't spend time with God before the kids get up, it's much harder to find time 'alone' to spend with Him. As I continue in the pattern of not taking that time, it doesn't bother me as much. I get frustrated when I think of spending time with God because I don't know what to read or what to pray about. Instead of feasting on Him, I fill up on 'junk food', finding satisfaction in lesser things.

But, when I spend time with God consistently, nothing else fills me the same way. I develop an appetite for spiritual things and lose my desire for the things that are not of God.

What is spiritual 'junk food'? Anything that I attempt to feast on instead of God. I find myself checking email and facebook every few minutes, hoping to bring excitement to my day. Those things aren't bad or wrong, but I sometimes look to them to fulfill me. Watching TV, shopping, eating, they can all fit into the category of spiritual 'junk food'. Taken too much or for the wrong reasons, they fill me up with empty calories and don't satisfy. They dull my appetite for God's Word and His presence.

When I find myself in the bad cycle, either literally by eating junk food, or spiritually, it takes some extra effort to switch the momentum. There is a period where I REALLY want something sweet but have to force myself to say no. Once I'm 'good' for a while, the sugar cravings subside. The same thing happens spiritually. There is frequently a period where I feel like spending time with God is hard and a big effort. Once I stick it through, I begin to see my attitudes and appetites shift.

"I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in Me will never go thirsty." John 6:35

What will you feast on?