Those family devotions

My childhood memories include our nightly devotions. Every evening without exception, my father would read us a chapter from the Word of God and when I was old enough (about the age of twelve), the baton was passed on to me – intended to achieve the further benefit I'm sure of increasing my reading ability. Just a reading of Joshua 13 meant mastering everything from the Geshurites, Ashdodites, Ashkelonites and Maacahathites to cities like Beth Baal Meon, Kirjathaim, Sibmah, Zereth Shahar, Beth Peor and Beth Jeshimoth giving me plenty of practice.

I remember distinctly how my sister and I would burst as I began to read us through the Song of Solomon. I would have to go into the adjoining kitchen and project my voice from there because the mere catch of each other's faces would send our young adolescent voices into uproarious laughter.

In dutiful fashion, I transferred this custom to our home after marrying and the birth of our first three beautiful children. It brought back fond memories and I was ready to transfer the reading baton to our son Joseph when the time came. They weren't always happy occasions as I sometimes got protests because of clashing television viewing or some other distraction such as the perennial giggles (and we weren't even in the Song of Solomon).

One evening when several of our children were in high school and we were grinding our way through Leviticus, it all fell apart. They weren't enjoying it and neither was I. I knew this style of devotions wasn't working and the writer of Leviticus had lost our attention completely. There was no way back. I had left it too late to consider another way. Family devotions gone for good!

A new song

Years later I read a small article in Focus on the Family. The writer spoke of taking his young son to a stock car event. The race meeting was of course a lot more aggressive, a lot of bump and run, a glorified version of dodgem cars. He shared with readers the great opportunity it had for passing on spiritual life lessons. No doubt these included:

• aim to come out the other end, car mostly intact
• there'll be opposition
• this doesn't matter so long as you finish the race
• be willing to be the last man standing

Imagine the images this would bring up in the mind of this young man; they would last for a life time (Hebrews 12:1, Ephesians 6:12). What a dad/son devotion!

But how was I to turn the ship around? I hadn't yet made the stock car connection. What was it I was really wanting my kids to understand? There was regret, but I needed to do more. I allowed myself to do some serious thinking.

What does a Christian young person of 11, 13, or 15 need?
What are their issues?

Do I really mean them to understand more of the Old Testament sacrificial system, the offerings and the feasts? Or, are they more likely to “come alive” to a family discussion about the Christian response to bullying? Will they be better helped by pouring the pool of family wisdom to the subject of the emerging temptations of drug use, or misuse of God's precious gift of our sexuality? How do you keep your testimony in the public school system? What if your science teacher is demanding you “toe the evolution line” in your required assignments? How does this “guidance” thing work – how will I know about the right career, the right spouse?

The Lord had taken me on quite a journey, and one thing I knew, if I had it to do over again, I would not get bogged down in Leviticus. Some wiser than I had prepared some marvellous resources, the materials were there. I wonder what I will bequeath my children.

The question becomes: are these devotions (the way I am running them) serving my family, or have I put these devotions in place to serve me and my needs, even if it’s there to help me enjoy a bit of nostalgia?