From the beginning of time, faith in the Christian home has been near the top of God’s priority list. In Eden, he established the institution of marriage by creating Eve and bringing her to Adam as “bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh” (Genesis 2:23). He gave them both inherent value by creating them in His image (Genesis 1:26-27). He also gave them children so they could fulfill His command to “be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth” (Genesis 1:28; 4:1-2).
In a sense, most of the Old Testament is the faith story of a family—Abraham’s family. And, after centuries of slavery in Egypt and four decades of wandering in the desert, God again showed that family the importance of creating a godly household in the promised land. When He gave Israel His laws, He gave parents the responsibility of passing those laws down from one generation to the next (Deuteronomy 6:4-9,20-25).
Today, creating a Christian household and nurturing faith in the home are still important to God. That means it should be important to us, as well.
Two places to start
As you think about what it means to nurture faith in the home, your mind can go in a lot of directions. Let me challenge you to focus on two vital ingredients: teamwork and time.
Creating a Christian home is not just about you. You’ve got a partner in this process, a partner whom God has placed in your life to see the things you don’t see. You and your spouse are a team, and you need to approach building faith in the home as a partnership. Neither of you can do it alone. God never meant for you to try!
Along with investing in teamwork, creating a Christian household requires an investment of time. Simple things like sharing meals together and unplugging on trips can spark incredible conversations and help each family member learn to live out their faith daily. Even more important, they will never forget the times you shared together.
Practical steps toward faith in the home
Teamwork and time are important foundational principles for creating a Christian household. But you also can embrace habits that will build some momentum and keep you moving in the right direction. Below, I’ve listed seven steps you can take to foster faith in your home and build a spiritual legacy that will span generations.
Establish your foundation
Simply put, you have to be a Christian to build a Christian home. You cannot lead your family where you have never walked yourself. You need to have a personal faith before you can live out your faith daily. It seems obvious, but you can’t point your wife and children toward Jesus until you confess your sins and accept Him as your own Savior.
Set the example
As you grow in your relationship with Christ, you can learn to live out your faith in front of your family each day. In other words, you can lead by example. You probably realize that what you do speaks louder than what you say. So, make it your aim to live with integrity. And be careful about what enters your home. You have to be diligent to keep evil off your doorstep—even if it doesn’t always make you popular.
Of course, living out your faith daily doesn’t mean you shouldn’t talk about your faith every chance you get. In the spirit of Deuteronomy 6, tell your family members stories about what God has done in the past and what He’s doing in the present. Point out where you see Him at work in the family so they can start looking for Him as well.
Make Bible study and prayer a part of your routine
Creating a Christian home means staying in touch with your Creator. The connection you establish and maintain with God will provide wisdom when you don’t know where to turn and encouragement when things feel chaotic. You need to hear from Him (Bible study) and let Him hear from you (prayer).
You also can weave Bible study and prayer into your family culture through family devotions. Teach your children how to have their own quiet times and make time to study the Bible and pray together. Even if you don’t know what you’re doing, it can be cool to learn together. And, as noted, talk about what you learn and how you see God acting on His Word and answering prayers.
Take your family to church
A lot of dads are OK with sending their kids and wives to church while they stay home. But that sets the wrong example and runs contrary to cultivating faith at home. If you want to build a strong Christian household, you must be involved in the body of Christ with them. Find ways to plug in and serve. Let your kids know that church attendance is important—not to check off a legalistic box, but to learn more about God and how to become His people in this world.
Build a support system
We said that building a strong Christian family is a team sport shared by husbands and wives. But it’s also wise to add others to your team. Pride will tell you that you can handle everything on your own, but that’s a lie. Godly mentors can stand with you and help you create a Christian household. We were never meant to walk the Christian life alone, and that includes learning to live out your faith daily as a family.
Demonstrate grace
No member of your family is perfect, including you. You’ve got to leave room for forgiveness and grace. While rules are important, mercy and compassion also play a role in developing spiritual character in the home.
The apostle Paul told the Ephesians to forgive one another because Christ had gone to such great lengths to forgive them (Ephesians 4:32). This principle for the church also applies to the people living under your roof. Grace and forgiveness are vital to fostering faith in the family.
Serve together
The Christian life is all about service—loving God and loving others the way He does. If you want your family to grow closer to the Lord and to one another, find ways to serve together. It could be at a local food pantry or rescue mission. It could be on your own or with other families. Whatever the case, learning to be the hands and feet of Jesus can transform your home and make Christian service a habit for years to come.
Starting with love
As you dig into God’s Word, you can’t escape the role of love in God’s purposes. Like the power of electricity, it flows through Scripture and provides the energy we need for doing God’s work God’s way. When Paul listed the fruit of the Spirit, he started with love (Galatians 5:22-23). He also said that love even supersedes faith and hope (1 Corinthians 13:13).
As you might expect, reflecting God’s character at home is rooted in love. It should serve as the motivation for every word, action, or thought. Sometimes, love will be hard to muster or to apply. But you can’t create a Christian household without it.
Finally, cultivating faith in the home requires a “future focus.” Yes, living out your faith daily can make a huge difference today, but the end game is making a generational impact. The legacy that will outlive you is being shaped by the decisions you make and the actions you take right now.
Ultimately, that’s what should make nurturing faith in the home a non-negotiable for each of us.
