The Gospel and Family Time

Outside of intentionally teaching, modeling, and leading your family towards the glory and kingship of Jesus, I believe time is one of the greatest investments one can make in their family. As I was sitting down this morning thinking about how the gospel is effecting and impacting every area of my life, I was inclined to think about how Jesus desires to spend time with his people. Some of the aspects of the incarnation are that Jesus came to be with his creation, to walk with them, cry with them, rejoice with them, shepherd them, sacrifice for them, and die and rise for them. In all of this and more, Jesus enacted the Father’s desire to spend time with his children. Jesus was God’s plan to reconcile all of creation to himself, especially his prized creation—his image bearers. God, since the fall of Adam and Eve, has been on mission to redeem and restore humanity to himself. He loves his creation; he desires to be in community and fellowship with them.

Dwelling on the notion that the Father longs to be in community, in fellowship, spending time with his children for me, elevates the time spent with my children building legos, playing cars, playing Wii, playing board games, coloring princesses, watching Sophie the First, practicing golf, playing soccer, watching practices, reading books, and praying to an entire different level. By spending time with my family, I am not only doing what is good, I am demonstrating a truth of the gospel—the Father desires and longs to spend time with his children.

A great question to asks ourselves, particularly as parents: Are we demonstrating the gospel in the time we invest in our family. Will our children grow up with a warped understanding of the gospel that God provides all the essentials for life but is personally absent, too busy or tired to spend time with his children; or will they grow up with the proper understanding of the gospel that God, through Jesus, extends so many blessings while being present and personal, longing to spend time with his children as they enjoy his benevolent and gracious blessings?

So, next time you get on the floor to wrestle with your children, build legos, watch a movie, play video or board games, go outside, go to a ballgame, or take your kids on a date night, remember that you are not just doing a good thing, but a gospel thing. You are teaching and modeling for them what your and their heavenly Father desires—to spend time with them. In essence, time can be used for the greatest investment one can make in their family, which is teaching and modeling the glorious gospel of King Jesus.