Our Great Need as We Live the Gospel at Home

I think yesterday’s post left something to be desired.

Do I profess to know God but deny Him by my works?
Do I live the Gospel at home?

Better yet …

How can the Word of God fill my home when I don’t know but a handful of scriptures from memory?
How can I lead my children when I don’t even understand the entire Bible myself?
What if I’m still figuring out this whole Christianity thing?
What if I don’t have a church to take them to?

Or even …

I don’t have the gift of service. I don’t even know how to help others, let alone think to bake an extra batch of cookies and teach my children to do the same.
I am so impatient. I yell at my kids everyday even though I try so hard not to.
My children could care less that I even put a roof over their heads. How can I make the Gospel important to them?

Or maybe …

My family sees me at all my worst moments. How will they ever see Christ in me? Won’t they see me as a hypocrite?
I don’t want to force my beliefs on my child because that’s what happened to me and it took me ten years to come back to my faith.
The only time I think to use scripture with my child is when I’m correcting her. I don’t want the Bible to be seen in a negative light.

The questions, the insecurities, and the sins that surface as we contemplate how to put actions to our faith are many.

Can you relate to any of this?

I sure can. Many of these words have come from my own mouth in my nearly seven years of being a family with my husband and children.

And here is where I want to be really honest with you.

All of these insecurities, weaknesses, sins, and failures will be one of the greatest testimonies ever spoken to the people in your family.

You do not have all the answers. The Word of God does.

You are a sinner. Christ is sinless and perfect.

You cannot save your family members. It is in Christ’s hands.

God doesn’t need us, but He chooses to use us. He wants to use you in the life of your family, and if you never teach them anything in the years you are together, may your goal be to show them that you have a great need.

A need so great that God sent His son to die for you.

A need so unfathomable you didn’t even know you needed a Savior until He revealed Himself to you.

A need so unbelievable that apart from the work of the Holy Spirit you would still be lost in your sin.

When it comes to living the Gospel at home, we have to get this one fact right: We need a Savior.

This is the main focus for my family – talking often about our need.

None of the behavior or teaching matters if we do not understand our need, and if we do not communicate our need (not their need) to our children. We cannot make ourselves clean. We cannot be good people, act right, and expect this to be enough. We are broken, tainted, and unworthy to be called children of God, but Jesus made a way.

We’re all in this together. No one has arrived.

My greatest fear in parenting is that my children will know the Bible inside and out, they would know all God’s commandments, but they would not know their need for Jesus. Because knowing about God is not the same thing as being saved by God.

Living the Gospel at home starts and ends with our great need for a savior. Everything we do hinges on our right understanding of the Gospel.

And remember: your faithfulness to share the gospel throughout your child’s life and their acceptance or rejection of the gospel is not a reflection of your worth or well-doing as a parent. Just because someone else’s child accepted Jesus, doesn’t mean they are a better parent or are more faithful in sharing Jesus with them. God already has your child and the rest of your child’s days planned. We all have our own unique journey. As your child’s parent, you are called to obey God. That’s it. The results are in His hands.

This post is part of a 31 day series on living the Gospel at home. See all the posts in this series here.