If you’re really serious about helping your family, then you first need to address yourself. Change is not easy! Do you really mean business? Are you looking for a family band-aid, a quick fix that requires only minimal effort — or family open-heart surgery, performed by God Himself?
In the Bible, King David had really sinned and messed up everything about his life by lusting after beautiful Bathsheba. She was another man’s wife, so he had that man killed. Then he took her for himself. God sent a prophet to confront him and to tell him that there would be major consequences!
David admitted his sin and confessed it to God. He prayed,
“Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me” (Psalm 51:10-12)
David didn’t escape the consequences of his sin — and if you’re human and have sinned, you won’t escape them either. But God wants to create a new heart in you — and He wants to restore joy to your life.
The first step is to admit that you have sinned. Yes, others have probably caused a lot of the problems in your life, too. But are you willing to confess your own faults first? Are you willing to look in the mirror before looking around at others?
We’re going to start by developing simple habits that will make future changes easier.
- Spend some time reading Psalm 51 in your Bible.
- Ask God to create a clean heart in you and to forgive you of your sin.
- Then get ready for later changes by doing the following things.
If you’re ready to make radical changes, these first assignments might seem trivial. They’re not! By starting with yourself, you will take yourself more seriously. Your family will take you more seriously, too!
So let’s get started.
- Did you take a shower this morning?
- Are you dressed? (And sweat pants or a beat-up t-shirt don’t count!)
- Have you fixed your hair attractively?
- Do you have some make-up on?
- Are you wearing shoes?
If you haven’t done these basics today, stop reading, get up, and go get pretty!
Now don’t get comfortable…
- Have you made your bed this morning?
If not, go do it now.
- How about breakfast? (Or if it’s later in the day, how long has it been since you ate something nourishing?)
- How long since you’ve had a glass of water to drink?
Go take care of this now!
- Finally, you need to clean out your purse.
Just turn it over and shake out all the contents on your living room floor (or maybe on a table, if toddlers are crawling nearby). Now throw out what you don’t need, and only put back in your purse what you really DO need! Everything else can be set aside to tackle in a later lesson.
Now that you’re back, resolve to start each day by making yourself look presentable, making your bed, and eating a good breakfast. This is a small step, but it’s the first step toward getting your family back on track. If you don’t take care of yourself, how can you care for anyone else?
I’m going to send you a fast email tomorrow to remind you.
You can also print this handy checklist. Why not post it in your bathroom?
Now spend a few minutes each day, reading and re-reading Psalm 51. Just as you cleaned out your purse, ask God to start cleaning out your heart. Ask Him to show you exactly what changes need to be made.
Before you go, share comments below with your fellow “classmates” — which of these things are easy for you, which are hard, or what suggestions do you have?
I’ll be back in 3 days with Lesson 2!
