6:30am: Wake up. 7:30am: Breakfast. 8am-6pm: Commute and work. 7pm: Arrive home. Have dinner. 8pm: Sort out children’s homework. Catch up with your spouse or work. 10pm: Bedtime. Perhaps that is what an average day looks like for many parents. And like me, you might be wondering how on earth we can bring up our children “in the training and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4)” with a packed schedule like this.
We know our God-given parental role and responsibility. We know our children are constantly being discipled by what they read and watch on their phones, and what they hear from their peers at school. We know a couple of hours of input from church, Kidzone or Youth Group on Sunday is not enough to help them swim against the tidal wave of falsehood and worldly values they face. Where is the extra time to do anything about this?
God’s solution for his people who faced the same problem is this: weave discipleship into your daily pattern of life. Deuteronomy 6-9 says, “These commandments that I give you today are to be on 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. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”
discipleship at home is no less important
Discipleship at church is essential. But discipleship at home is no less important. In his very helpful book (that we should all get), “Habits of the Household”, Earley highlights the value of this habitual and rhythmic approach to daily discipleship: “The greatest spiritual work happens in the normal moments of domestic life”. Whether it is waking up or mealtimes, times of discipline, screentime, family devotions, marriage (time alone for mom and dad), work and play, conversation, or bedtime, it is possible to weave in habits that lead to godliness. Even in a family, around messy tables, it is possible to insert a conversation that directs our family to God.
What might that look like? 6:30am: Wake up (pray briefly instead of scrolling the phones) 7:30am: Breakfast (share a Bible verse and pray with the family before heading out) 8am-6pm: Commute and work (devotion with an audio bible on the MTR) 7pm: Arrive home. Have dinner. (talk about God’s help and reminders as the family debriefs the day) 8pm: Sort out children’s homework (ask God for wisdom and seek his priorities). Catch up with spouse or work (pray with spouse). 10pm: Bedtime.
Earley has more practical suggestions in this book. But let’s start small; what is one discipleship habit you would like to weave into your day?
