Hey Reader!

I used to get annoyed that I had to do everything to try and help our kids grow spiritually.

If we were going to pray at a meal with our kids, I had to suggest it. If we were going to talk about how to raise our kids to know Jesus, I had to initiate the conversation. If we were going to read scripture together, I had to start it and do the reading.

I was really frustrated, as I wanted my husband/the pastor to be the spiritual leader of our family.

But in that season, I knew that if anything was going to happen, it was up to me.

Believe me, I wanted to be bitter (I probably was). But I also thought (knew) that it was really important that we tried things at home, and not just hope that Sunday School was enough.

But, I started trying things out.

I started with scripture reading. Then added a candle lighting, then the Lord's Prayer, and mealtime prayers.

I worked every day to figure out how to get my kids involved and participating. I learned how to build small habits, how to quit when ahead, how to stop when a kid was having a meltdown, how to get back at it the next day. I learned how not to give up.

And it wasn't easy, but it was worth it. We made real progress. The fruits of that time are what I teach in both my family devotion starter guide and consistency habits toolkit.

But another blessing that came from that time was that my husband would be around and would observe how hard I worked with our kids. He saw me show up day after day. And it must have had a great effect, because he started joining in sometimes, just being present.

Then a few times he would lead. The kids would lead too.

And then we entered a season where we tried some other new things and stopped a few of the habits that we had been doing.

But, and this is the unbelievable part, after about a year of my focusing on other things for faith at home, my husband, on his own, started bringing back and leading a short time of devotion in the morning on the way out the door to school.

And he made it his own. He did it in his way, but he was the leader. He took ownership and it was important to him to be doing it.

He hadn't liked that we weren't doing devotions as we had been earlier, so he started them back up.

I really will say, I had no idea when I started out if my husband would ever grow into this role. I had been sad about it and disappointed, but knew I had to press on. And God worked. He worked in my kids' lives and in the life of my husband. And my husband grew from watching us grow.

God works in ways we don't always see or understand at the time.

In this way, I was blown away (and so thankful), feeling my heart be full, knowing that the seed I had sown with the devotions, grew in my husband's heart, so that it flowered in its own time in a new way. That's the beauty of how God works, it's unique.

So I want to encourage you if you feel like your efforts are in vain, or if you feel like you put in all the work and you just can't get your spouse on board and you're not sure if it's worth it or not.

Let go of feeling like you have to wait or make your husband lead or to get him to do it. It's okay for you to set the example for your children and to lead them to Jesus. God just might lead your husband to grow and change too.

Pretty simple, right? But that doesn't mean it'll be easy. Pray for ways that you can set the example for your children at home, and pray that it will encourage your husband, if he's not already on board.

Be blessed!

Keeley

PS. Be sure to check out my Instagram posts (and the captions!) below and follow my account so you don't miss bonus content and tips on getting consistent!

PPS. To prepare yourself spiritually for Holy Week this week and Easter, be sure to check out the Related Posts on Good Friday (3), Mary, and Easter posts below.

Verse of the Week

“Then Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Having said this, he breathed his last.” - Luke 23:46 (NRSV)

Know that the comfort Jesus found on the cross is the same comfort he leaves with you.

The comfort is this: To know that your sure promise in times of suffering is that your soul is entrusted to the God of Truth, your protector and deliverer.

Learn more here in the Good Friday mediation I gave at church Jesus' final words, "Into Your Hands I Commend My Spirit."

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