Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
We have a rhyme in Puerto Rico—where I’m originally from—that says people can be “the light of the square but the darkness at home” (trust me, it rhymes in Spanish). We use it to describe a person who does everything right for strangers while being mediocre with or downright neglectful to their family.
By contrast, while on a trip a number of years ago, I heard Sonlife missionary Mark Edwards say that whatever we learn for our ministry we should first put into practice with our families. After all, our families are our number-one ministry responsibility.
After I heard that, I went back home and taught my family how to share the Gospel with others. Luckily for me, my kids were still young, and my wife is a godly and wise woman who loves the Lord. So, I had good “raw materials” to work with.
If you don’t know how to bring Gospel zeal into your family life, you’re not alone! That feeling is actually quite common. Fortunately, you don’t need to stay there. Here are four simple ways you can advance the Gospel through your family, and also be a great model for your students in the process.
1. Pray for your family.
The apostle Paul instructs us:
I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made for all people.
And you know who’s first in line of your “all people” crowd? Your family! Everything in your life should start with prayer. Hopefully you’re already praying for your spouse and children or any other family members you live with. So I encourage you to intentionally pray that God will make them passionate ambassadors of His message.
2. Talk about the Gospel with your family.
And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.
I put this as number two on purpose. One of the most powerful things I’ve done with my family is talk about Jesus all the time. It’s such a simple thing that often goes overlooked.
Recently my daughter was recapping her day to her mom and me and said: “Dad, it seems we always end up talking about Jesus in this family.” Amen and amen! God is in everything, and the Gospel speaks to every situation. So, you should be constantly looking for ways to bring up Jesus. Before long, it will become automatic!
3. Model it for your family.
And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.
Your dining room isn’t the pulpit and your living room isn’t your youth room, so don’t make it weird. Don’t preach to your family as you would your students or church members.
A more effective way to Gospelize your family than simply preaching at them is to model how to share your faith. You can do this by sharing stories of Gospel conversations you had during your day. Or by simply being intentional and talking about Jesus with anyone who visits your home, from your kids’ friends to the plumber you called to fix your pipes.
When I started modeling sharing the Gospel, I noticed that my family would fall silent whenever I started a Gospel conversation. It was as if the person I was sharing with and I had stepped into another dimension and left my family behind. When I asked my family why they were so quiet, my son said they didn’t want to interrupt me and say the wrong thing. But since then, they’ve grown out of their fears of getting in the way and become more confident in their ability to contribute to the conversation. And your family can learn to do the same!
4. Coach your family.
Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance.
My family has experienced the good, the bad, and the ugly in our efforts to share the love of Christ with others. But throughout all of those, I’ve tried to coach them as best I could (though, not always successfully).
- The ugly: Not long ago, my daughter engaged in a Gospel conversation with a friend online. This friend observed a different religion and started to throw out random and inaccurate facts to try to discredit Christianity. My daughter came to me for some godly coaching, and I completely blew it! The online conversation turned into one argument after another that didn’t lead to the Gospel.
- The bad: My wife called me to be her wingman while she attempted to share the Gospel with her older brother. She took a G.O.S.P.E.L. acrostic card she’d brought to the conversation and started reading off it word-for-word to him, with little explanation in between. It was painful to watch! But when she asked, “Does this makes sense?” he said YES! Then she asked, “Is there anything holding you back from putting your faith in Jesus?” and he said NO! Thank God for the power of the Gospel, because that conversation was bad but God used it anyway.
- The good: My son was talking with some friends on a gaming app, when out of nowhere he asked if anyone wanted to talk about Jesus. Most of his friends immediately fled the virtual space, but one girl decided to stay. After a little back and forth, my son came to me for help, and we were able to navigate the conversation. It ended with that girl putting her faith in Jesus! Praise God!
I hope these stories inspire you to see your family as your first disciple-making responsibility and give you practical steps to coach them in advancing the Gospel within their spheres of influence.
