What spiritual training looks like for our family right now

 

We are participating in a 40 day Bible Reading Plan with our church which started on Monday. We are reading in Proverbs and one other section of the Bible 5 days a week for 40 days. The kids are working through it as well with less verses than the adults. We have a Facebook page where we post the daily reading and then comment on what God showed us in our reading. I love how a first grader in our church family got a jump start on Sunday afternoon and set the example for us all with an eager heart; one that couldn’t wait until Day 1. Oh how precious!

Mitchell and Sophie are getting used to the habit of getting up 15 minutes early to participate in daily devotions. Yes, this is new for us. Don’t go bashing the preacher’s family now. Seriously ya’ll I had a lady say to me recently, “I just figured your family sat around and read the Bible together for hours.” And she was so serious.

After cracking up to my-super-spirtual-self I said, “Well of course we do. In Greek and Hebrew”. And then we laughed together and I fessed up that the scene was not as she had conjured up in her head. She probably wouldn’t have said that if she heard our 13 year old say for the 100th time at the Sunday lunch table, “What’s that guys name that walked on water and fell?” I think Randy about fell out of his chair. Really? You couldn’t remember Paul’s name? Come on man! (ha ha)

In all seriousness we work hard at spiritual training in our home. We read God’s word and we pray together. We pray about ways we can serve others as a family and we memorize God’s word on occasions together. There are different ways we all read and study the Bible but sitting down together as a family of four in the mornings to read the Bible before school is not part of that routine. And so we are making sacrifices necessary to make this happen every morning before school. We’re only 3 days into this and it’s been awesome. To pray, read and talk about what God’s word is saying before we all walk out the door has been really neat.

But here’s the thing……

I don’t want to be a kill joy or anything but I know me and I know us. The awesomeness wares off in about 7 days and reality sets in. It gets harder to get up earlier. Attitudes fly over wet towels on the floor and not being ready on time. Running out of lunch materials and spilled cereal…..all leads to a failed effort in carving out time in the word.

And this is where I believe accountability makes the difference. Knowing there’s more people working towards the same goal. Even sharing their thoughts about their reading encourages me, us, to press on. To do the hard thing after the 7th and 8th day.

So I’m praying that we will press on with this new habit of training ourselves spiritually before school starts. That it won’t be a matter of checking off the box but it will be something we look forward to as a family. To hear from God individually and together. At the end of the day it really doesn’t matter when we spend time in God’s word but that we spend time with him and in his word. But for us we are choosing to make this part of our morning routine for 40 days. And I truly believe God will change us and move in us as a result. And not only us but our church family. That excites me.

Linking with Holley, Jennifer and Kristin today.