Family Meetings

Last week we looked at what it would be like to have a family revelation https://www.clearviewretreat.org/2019/01/01/revelation/.

If you had the opportunity to read that post, it would be great to hear how that went. What was good and what was difficult? Did you have a family meeting? How’d it go? Please email us, comment below, or join the CVR Family Community by heading over to our facebook page to share your experiences.

What happens when you try to call together your family and things don’t go the way you think they should? To be honest, that is a very real occurrence.

Don’t give up; it gets better. The trials of family life are not to be taken lightly. Unfortunately, many shrink from their responsibilities when faced with relating to their closest family and friends. If you are stumped for ways to run the family meeting or you would like new ideas for your next family meetings, here are a couple of links that may help.* https://www.positivediscipline.com/articles/family-meetings and https://centerforparentingeducation.org/library-of-articles/healthy-communication/holding-family-meetings/

Both of those links above are not Christian-based but do have some good information for families. I would suggest this basic outline and suggest you continue to add on your own aspects as God gives you revelation.

Be intentional to invite God as the true head of the family by opening and closing in prayer, honoring Him in worship like this song https://youtu.be/Cxy_w1tUKGw or with your family favorites, and bringing His Word into the conservation.
Build one another up. Purposefully engage each person, valuing who God created them to be. Be complimentary and value everyone’s input.
Brainstorm fun! As many adults probably already know, meetings can be boring and discouraging. Stay tuned for our future blog post: Find your cup of coffee.
Plan to win. That doesn’t mean you have to have a 5-point sermon about the joys of family prepared and presented, but that does mean you may need to have a perspective change that looks positively into your family.

If you did run into some troubles during your family meeting (or didn’t do it because it seemed too challenging), let me encourage you through the writings of the Apostle Peter. “You rejoice in this, even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials so that the proven character of your faith — more valuable than gold which, though perishable, is refined by fire — may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 1: 6‭-‬7)

Your perseverance is golden. Gold is such a great illustration for our faith. Precious, valuable, refinable…

I have worked with steel, and it takes a lot of energy, heat, hammering – better know as forging – to shape a cold, hard metal into a useful tool or a beautiful piece of art. I have never worked with gold, yet I know it is a much more delicate material than steel. Relationships are delicate works of art. I like how Charles Swindoll both encourages us and gives us a picture of the reality of the family: “A family is a place where principles are hammered and honed on the anvil of everyday living.” Hammer and honing on a delicate metal takes perseverance and self-control.

Reality is that families are work, and there should be daily activities that can range from simply providing for needs to being intentional about addressing growth and learning through several aspects of life. We should challenge not only a healthy physical life, but also, and in many aspects, even more so a thriving spiritual life.

Personally, I have a lot of forging still in life to shape me into the image of my Savior, Jesus Christ. So, I want to be gold and have my faith moldable to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Perseverance is key. Not letting the kids run over the revelation you received from the Lord, but standing up, head held high, knowing that the greatest thing you can do for you family is disciple them and lead them in the Lord.

Sometimes, we look at our families and think we are doing well. They are warm and well fed. Many might be reading this on a smartphone or laptop. Mostly, life is good. Of course there are struggles, but hopefully they are limited and resolving.

Let’s build on our golden faith and not just stick to the good of the world. Let us go beyond the worldly standard and shine for Christ.

I again look to Peter “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.” (2 Peter 1: 5‭-‬7)

That seems like a big list and can be overwhelming, but you don’t have to do everything right away. Maybe some of the qualities you excel in already; maybe in some you fail miserably. Keep in mind the following verse “For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:8) You are not useless no matter where you are on the spectrum; you just must keep going and growing toward the Lord.

Be strong and press on.

*Please remember we do not control the content of linked sites. They are here to enhance your understanding of a concept but may not always fully align with our fundamental truths.