Family Connection

Family Connection
10.15.2009
What do the words “family game night” mean to you? Perhaps you have good memories of playing games with your family when you were a child. Perhaps you have uncomfortable memories of playing games with your family (maybe you had an ultra-competitive sibling who made any game a war); or perhaps you never played games with your family. Whatever your reaction, I want to take a few moments to talk about “family game night”.
In Deuteronomy 6 parents are given some instructions to talk about the laws, commandments and things of God. “The commandments I give you today must be in your hearts. Make sure your children learn them. Talk about them when you are at home. Talk about them when you walk along the road. Speak about them when you go to bed. And speak about them when you get up.-(Deuteronomy 6:6-7). In order to do this we need to spend time with our children. These discussions take time but they can occur wherever we are while we are engaged with any activity with our children; even during a time of family games.
This week I would like to encourage you to turn the TV off and spend some time playing your child’s favorite game or teaching him/her your favorite game. Grab some snacks; set aside some time, laugh and play as a family and talk about the things of God while you do it. You don’t have to break out a special devotion book, instead share with your children the things God is teaching you while you play together. If you are a grandparent you can do this too. I remember playing “War” with my great-grandma when I was a child as she showed me an example of someone who loved Jesus by her actions and the songs she would sing as we played. Take some time this week to build a good memory with the children God has blessed you with and live out Deuteronomy 6 while you play as a family.
Brett Humphrey
Pastor H