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Placing God First Is A Family Activity



"I always put the LORD in front of me; I will not stumble because he is on my right side." 
Psalms 16:8 (CEB)

This verse is a recognition of the truth of God's guidance in our lives. A similar verse is one of my childhood favorites, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path" (KJV). As long as we put God first in our lives, we cannot fail and we will not stumble and fall because he will be right there at our side to keep us on the "straight and narrow."

How good is it to know that it is impossible to fail in life when we place God at the front of our lives? I believe that this is great news that cannot be repeated enough!  This truth applies to all aspects of life, especially parenting. As parents, it is our responsibility to model this truth to our children and to teach them to do the same in their own lives.

It is important to not be deceived into thinking that this is a promise for an easy life, for easy parenting, or for a life absent of roadblocks, failures, and sin. However, it is a promise that we can take hold of when we take the daily initiative to place Christ at the forefront of our lives. This is why it is so important for us to set aside time to spend with Christ as individuals and as families. Whether it is personal or family devotions or prayer in the morning, a time of prayer and reading at mealtime or bedtime, or any other time in between.

Not only as Christians, but also as followers of Christ, we need to daily spend time with our Father in Heaven and gather our families together to spend time with God so that we are ready to face the challenges of everyday life in a world still in need of the redemption from sin that will come when Christ returns one day. Spending time in family devotions, in Bible reading, and prayer is also the way that we build our children into children of strong faith. Placing God first in our lives is not only a personal activity, but it is a family activity!
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