Your family is special to God! Not only were you “knit together in your mother’s womb,” (Psalm 139:13) but your family was specially knit together for God’s purposes.
Abram, which means “Noble Father” (later renamed Abraham, which means “Father of Many”) was God’s first chosen family, used by God for His purposes as a family.
Abram wasn’t anything special (just read Genesis)! But God chose this one man to reveal Himself and He called that man to be a light to the nations. In Genesis 12, God gives three promises to Abraham: a special land, a large family/nation, and His blessing. But He called Abraham to bless others He chose to reveal Himself to the world through this one family.
“Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you [first promise]. And I will make of you a great nation [second promise], and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing [third promise]. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”” Genesis 12:1-3, emphasis mine.
Abraham and Sarah were God’s first missionary family:
- They were called to go to a new land.
- They were called to prosper and multiply in the new land.
- They were called to bless others, in fact, the entire world.
They certainly were not perfect, but God chose that ordinary, imperfect family to reveal Himself to the world. And if you are willing, God can use your ordinary, imperfect family to continue revealing Himself to the world.
Spend time tonight, reading Genesis 12:1-7 and talk about how Abram and Sarai obeyed God.
Then read Genesis 21:1-7 and their son of the promise, Isaac.
Ask your kids what they know about those three figures of the faith. Then discuss:
- Did you know they were just an ordinary family like ours?
They probably fought over the best food, got frustrated when things didn’t go their way and [insert your most recent family conflict]. - Why do you think God chose to work through Abraham and his family?
(Hint: to reveal his glory THROUGH him, not because Abraham was special) - What three promises did God give Abraham? Did God fulfill those promises?
(See Genesis 12:1-3) - Do you think God could choose to use our family to bless others?
God still wants to work through the family today. Does He use single men and women in ministry? Absolutely! Paul himself was single his entire life.
But as parents, our first mission field is our homes: the children God has given us to steward for His Glory, to teach about His great name, and to send out to reach the next generation and the world for Christ.
It is important to see how God used the nation that was birthed from Abraham’s family, the Israelites throughout scripture to bless their neighboring nations. And how, through the Israelite Jesus Christ, God blessed the whole world. It is only through the life and death of Jesus Christ that we have access to God. What a blessing!
And it is equally important to see how God is still a God on mission throughout modern history and today. God is not dead but alive and moving. He wants to use you and your family to bless the nations!
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