Read Experiencing God at Home Online
Authors: Richard Blackaby,Tom Blackaby
Tags: #Christian Life, #Family
Christians are divinely intended to live by faith. But what does that mean? The writer of Hebrews says, “Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him” (Heb. 11:6
hcsb
). James says it another way: “Foolish man! Are you willing to learn that faith without works is useless?” (James 2:20
hcsb
). Scripture is clear: we can say we
believe
in God until we are blue in the face, but those are just words until we actually
live
like we believe God.
This is immensely important when it comes to passing on our faith to our kids. Today’s younger generation is not content merely to
hear
about God from books or the pulpit; they want to
see
faith that is real and alive. They want to experience God doing miracles in their own home and through their family. This is what inspires our kids and what can prevent them from walking away from God one day.
This is what we often experienced in our childhood home. Over and over again, God would provide for our family right on time. Our parents never hesitated to obey what they sensed God telling our family to do, even when it appeared impossible. Sure enough, right when a bill was due that we could not afford to pay, a check would arrive in the mail. Or when we still had more week left than we had groceries, someone would happen to drop by with some meat and produce from their farm they thought we could use. Such experiences left a profound impression on each of us children as we watched the practical reality of walking with and obeying God daily.
A Family Learning to Trust God (An Example from Richard)
Growing up in a home where obeying God was nonnegotiable, I took that approach into my own family once I was married. Ten days after our wedding, Lisa and I packed our meager belongings and headed one thousand miles south to Texas to attend seminary. We knew God wanted us to go, but we had one small problem: we had no money! We had both graduated from university that summer, and we had no funds with which to pay for tuition or rent. I have known many people who would advise that we should wait a year and work so we could save up enough money to at least pay for tuition and a few months’ rent. But I had been taught that when God tells you to do something, the time to obey is
now!
We arrived in Fort Worth on a Thursday evening. School orientation began Monday. My aunt called and told us that their wedding gift to us was to pay our first month’s rent (a gift they could not afford to give). My aunt worked at a law firm and had taken it upon herself to arrange for my wife, Lisa, to drop off an application on Friday. She did. The firm asked her to start work Monday. I went to orientation on Monday, knowing that by Thursday I had to pay for my semester. Right on schedule, I was informed that a rattletrap vehicle I had left in Canada had been purchased, and the proceeds were exactly enough to cover tuition . . . and so our journey of faith commenced. Two years later, we had a new son, Michael. We were barely eking a living for two; how could we going to afford a third mouth to feed? One day we discovered we were down to our last jar of baby food. It was a week before payday. We did not even have the eighteen cents required to purchase another jar. We had no credit card and no means of getting money from our relatives in Canada (if they could have afforded to send some). As a young couple, we felt overwhelmed. Here we were, far from home, trying to obey God. Why was life so impossible? Should I quit school and get a job so I could pay for baby food? Was it right to be putting my family through such hardship in order to obey God? Was I being selfish, pursuing an education when I couldn’t afford to feed my baby? Lisa and I prayed over our meager meal that evening and humbly asked God for food for our baby. While we were still sitting at the table, the phone rang. It was a woman Lisa had met the day before. She sounded horribly embarrassed. “I am
so
sorry to bother you at dinnertime!” she began. “I hope you are not offended by this . . .” She proceeded to explain that her baby (a few months older than ours) had suddenly developed a disdain for baby food. The mother finally decided to throw away the remaining jars since they were no longer needed. Her husband happened to be passing by and said, “Honey, you shouldn’t throw all that food away. Don’t you know anyone with a baby who could use that stuff?” The woman thought for a moment and remembered meeting Lisa the day before. She looked up our number and called. She was afraid we might be offended at being treated like a “charity case!” The next day the woman brought
dozens
of supersized, top-of-the-line Gerber’s baby food. It was the first nongeneric food our son had eaten in his life! He was thrilled! (Who knew Tutty Frutty could taste so good?) And we knew, once again, that God is so practical, He can part a sea if you need Him to, or He can move someone to donate baby food if that happens to be your need at the moment. God is simply looking for us to trust Him, and obey Him. The Bible is not simply a storybook about what God did thousands of years ago. It is the living Word of God that reveals what God can and will do through families
today
.
In Marriage
Our father has often stated that God’s voice often sounds a lot like his wife’s voice! While he is joking (sort of), he is also acknowledging a profound truth: Husbands and wives are designed to be one flesh (Matt. 19:4–5). It means that God doesn’t just speak to the husband. Nor does it mean that the wife is responsible for all of the family’s praying. It means that couples must discern God’s will together. Typically, husbands will be sensitive to certain issues while wives may be more alert to others. It is only when they are both listening to God and sharing what they are hearing that couples can clearly understand how God is guiding them.
A Couple Hears from God
At church one Sunday, the pastor issues an impassioned plea for more homes to be opened for community Bible studies. Over lunch that day, the husband ventures to say that he was struck by what the pastor said, and he would like to let their home be used to reach their neighborhood. But, he adds, he knows it would put a lot more pressure on his wife to have guests coming over every Tuesday evening, so he does not want to add more work to her busy schedule. To his surprise, the wife replies that recently God has been speaking to her about their home. In her quiet times, God has been impressing upon her that He entrusted a beautiful home to them, and He expects them to invest it in His kingdom. She, too, had been struck by the pastor’s words that day but had hesitated to mention it because she knew that Tuesdays were busy days for her husband. Together, the couple responds to the Holy Spirit’s promptings and offers their home for a Bible study on Tuesday evenings. The family begins making adjustments. The children help to clean and vacuum the house after school on Tuesdays. The husband picks up pizza on the way home from work. The wife does some baking to serve that evening. God does a profound work in several of the attendee’s lives through the study. Several people accept Christ as their Savior. Great new friendships are established. The parents regularly report to their children how God is working in the Bible study. The family celebrates how God is using their ordinary family to bless others and to expand His kingdom. And years later, when the children are grown with their own families, they, too, allow God to use their homes as outposts for God’s work in their community.
It is crucial that parents understand God’s agenda for their family. In which neighborhood should we live? Which company do I work for? What church do we join? What schools do the children attend? What causes do we donate money and time to? If you assume God does not care about details, read His instructions to Noah on how to build an ark or to Moses on how to make a tabernacle. God is a master of details. That being said, we are pretty sure He doesn’t care what kind of toothpaste you use (and we have major questions on God’s view on flossing!). But when it comes to building His kingdom and setting people free, God is extremely intentional about how He works through ordinary people’s lives. We are seeing CEOs in corporate America, factory workers, business owners, and parents experiencing the amazing reality that almighty God intends to use their life, where they live and work, for His divine purposes. They are experiencing the truth that when they seek first God’s kingdom purposes, everything else in their life comes together (Matt. 6:33).
Clear the Road! (An Example from Tom the Driving Instructor)
I have taught five people to drive a car, including my two oldest children. Many parents would cringe at the thought and frantically hire a driving instructor. I was a little bolder (or frugal) and embraced the challenge with gusto. I once took my son Matt to a deserted highway. As he drove, I instructed him to step hard on the gas pedal in order to feel the passing gear kick in. I wanted him to know how much extra power was available should he ever need to pass a car quickly (such a “need” I was certain he
would
feel!). I assured him it was OK, and I gave him a wink. He must have thought his dad was crazy, actually
telling
him to speed! The next thing that happened scared the life out of me. Rather than pressing the gas pedal while cruising at fifty miles per hour, Matt stomped on the brake pedal, sending the car screeching to a skidding, swerving stop. Needless to say, I was a little shaken and looked at him in disbelief. He said meekly, “I got the pedals mixed up.”
Following the rules of driving allows you to enjoy the privilege of commuting on public roads in relative safety. Observing the signs, speed limits, traffic signals, and the rules of the road enables you to go from your home to your destination easily and safely. Once you get the hang of it, you can actually
enjoy
driving, listening to your music, and looking at the sights. If you choose not to follow the rules and you ignore the signage, you will most likely find flashing lights pulling up behind you and a nice man asking to see that great photo you took for your driver’s license! My son learned the hard way what can happen when you fail to observe certain road signs. He later missed some signs and was rear-ended, totalling my car (guess I should have hired a professional instructor).
God’s Guidelines for Success
There are many similarities between driving a car and functioning in the kingdom of God. There are laws of the kingdom that, if followed, lead to abundant life. From the commencement of human history, Adam and Eve were given rules to follow that led to an amazing life. There was only one restriction, but it was a major one. As long as they heeded God’s word, they had complete freedom to explore and enjoy their world. They chose to break the one rule God gave them, and they and their family paid a horrific price. Obedience brings life. Disobedience (sin) brings death (Rom. 6:23). God wasn’t being harsh. He was being true to His Word.
The Tragic Cost of Disobedience
The first funeral our father ever performed was under extremely tragic circumstances. A beautiful baby girl was born. She was the couple’s first child. She was the first grandchild on either side of the family. Everyone adored her! And spoiled her. As she grew as a preschooler, she developed a playful game with her doting relatives. An adult would call and ask her to come to them. She would grant them a radiant smile and then turn and run in the opposite direction. The adults would howl with laughter. And so the game continued. One day the girl was playing in the front yard when her ball rolled into the street. Her mother was startled to see a car speeding down the street toward her child. Seeing her precious daughter making her way toward the street to collect her ball, the mother shouted frantically at her daughter to stop and come to her immediately. The preschooler stopped, gave her mother a playful smile, then darted right in front of the speeding vehicle. The child’s parents had made a game of disobedience, and it had cost their child her life.
The Little Things Count Too
God is serious about guiding us and our children to experience abundant life. However, He will not force abundant life upon us. Many of the covenants God made in the Bible were conditional. The covenant God made with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their descendants generally began with, “If you . . . then I will.” If you obey my commands . . . if you serve Me . . . if you follow in My ways . . . if you keep My commandments. . . .Then I will give you the land as an inheritance . . . I will protect you from your enemies . . . I will give you peace . . . I will multiply your descendants . . . I will deliver you from your enemies . . . and so forth. Notice some of God’s expectations for His people: