Family Connection 02.11.2010

Family Connection
02.11.2010
I’m a fan of The Angels baseball team (I guess I should say The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim but I just can’t bring myself to do it), because my dad was a fan of that team. I love to read, partly because my parents loved to read and I love to laugh because my parents enjoyed watching comedies as I grew up. My parents had great influence on my life; many of those influences are so deeply ingrained I don’t even realize it at times. As parents we still have the largest opportunity to influence the children in our lives and we should be as strategic as possible to influence them to follow the Lord.
Consider the words of Deuteronomy 6:5-7-“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”
As parents, we have opportunities to influence the children in our lives for the Lord in everything we do. Instead of thinking of a family devotion as a set time around the dinner table, why not think about talking about God and his ways as you drive along in the car. As you take a trip in the car to the school, or to the store, why not turn off the radio and take turns talking about all of things you are thankful for that God has given you. Whenever you see someone who has an accident, or see an ambulance drive by; why not pray for the people who have been injured? When you see something beautiful in nature, or even on TV, why not take a moment to praise God for His creativity?
I encourage you to think about all of the ways your parents influenced you and then ask God to show you ways you can influence the children in your life for Him. When you make your walk with Christ a living, breathing relationship; you can influence the children in your life to adopt that relationship for themselves. I would love to hear how that works for you this week.
Walking by your side,

Brett Humphrey
Pastor H