Family Values

When I think about the things that have had the most impact on the lives of the Parker kids, the big moments leap out at me first. Moving from one state and church to the next, athletic and academic successes and failures, camps, retreats, and baptisms.

These are moments that contribute to the shaping of our kids and help them become who they will eventually be as adults.

But I would like to suggest that these big moments are secondary to the ongoing, moment to moment rhythms and habits of our families. A teenager will remember fondly a great success or a meaningful experience, but their character is more deeply shaped by the daily input and family patterns we practice.

Our daily and weekly family patterns communicate to our kids what we actually believe to be important and good.

It’s like shaping a rose bush. If, once each year, we take the pruners to the bush and lop off large portions and dead limbs, we will get a bush with bare spots and errant shoots, if the plant survives at all. If, however, we shape the plant on a daily or weekly basis, we will get a healthy rose bush that thrives and produces the maximum number of blooms.

It’s the daily choices we make, and our weekly habits and patterns that communicate our love for Jesus and shape our kids into people who love Him, also.

We can say, “A healthy diet is very important to be a healthy person”, and then eat at McDonalds 8 times a week, and what we truly believe is revealed. We can say, “Football isn’t really all that important”, and betray what we value deep down by the time and money we spend watching and going to football games.

We can say all we want, “Church life is important because we love Jesus”, and our daily and weekly practice of involvement in our community of faith will demonstrate to our kids the truth of that claim.

This Wednesday night at FBCLS we have prepared a family worship experience that will help you guide your family through a conversation that will highlight the things you truly value. We’ll meet in the Underground at 6pm to calibrate our hearts through music, then enter into an interactive conversation you can have with your spouse or your entire family about what God has provided and what your family truly values in life.