A Christ-Centered Family

January, 2007

by: Brock Bolde

Imagine, if you would, that you had the ability to somehow transcend time and space; that you could somehow watch your family interact and engage with one another in everyday life, with you being an active participant while still looking on. What might that look like? Would you look on in shock and horror, maybe even shame or would you find a family that, while not perfect, was seeking to honor the Lord? As a parent, would you be encouraged or discouraged at the amount of time that your child spent watching T.V.? Playing video games? Talking on the phone? Would you be pleased or grieved by how your children spoke to one another? How they spoke to your spouse? How they spoke to you?

As telling as all of that might be, none of us has the ability to transcend time and space. None of us can rise above it all and take an objective look at what’s going on in our families – no one that is but God. Only God is able to see our families for what they really are! Only God is able to see what we do in the confines of our home; whether or not we are leading our children to the foot of His cross; whether or not we are instructing our children in the way that they should go; whether or not we are teaching our children how to fear God! Before sending His disciples out to heal the sick and cast out demons, Jesus told the twelve that “there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be made known (Matthew 10:26). There is nothing that takes place within the confines of our home that is not revealed before God. As much as some of us might think that we’re getting away with something, I assure you, we’re not! “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7).

In light of these truths, I want to challenge us all to examine our homes. I want us to all take inventory of how Christ-centered our homes are. To the best of our abilities, let us be honest in determining whether or not we are being faithful to do all that God has called us to do in the raising of our children. It is my fear that far too many of us are functioning as “Christian” families in title alone; far too many of us are becoming more and more conformed into the image of the world instead of Jesus Christ. We are pursuing those things that “moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19). Some of us are more concerned with our child’s popularity than we are with his character; we’re more concerned with how he’s perceived rather than who he really is; we’re more celebratory of his athletic or academic achievments than we are of his desire to serve others. We fail to live in light of Jesus’ chilling question – “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?” (Matthew 16:26).

If you and I are to have Christ-Centered families then we must start making our pursuit of Christ-likeness a top priority. This is not an option for the Christian – it’s what being a Christian is all about. Our children need to see us, through the enabling work of the Holy Spirit, striving to be more godly in our conduct; they need to see us pursuing a relationship with Jesus Christ, not just showing up to church on Sundays; they need to see us confessing our sin and seeking to turn away from it. God has given us the incredible privilege of being parents. May each of us be faithful in doing our part to lead our children in a pursuit of Christ-likeness, for His glory – not ours.