And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
Joshua 24:15
One of my most fervent prayers as a father and husband is that God will remain the head of my home at all times. The reason why I say it's such a fervent prayer is because truth be told, it's much easier to take Jesus out of the centre of my household than it is to keep Him there.
That's not to say that I'm a whimsical Christian, a terrible father or an ignorant husband (although it can honestly sometimes appear that way), but because truth be told, we all struggle with some form of idolatry that penetrates not just our individual walk with God, but even our homes as well.
If I were to tell you today that you have idols in your household, you'd probably imagine a living room full of graven images or a shelf full of totems and occult amulets. While that still stays a reality nowadays, idolatry looks a little different today compared to the times of the Bible. While God's Word points to idols such as Asherah Poles, Golden Calves, Baal and such, idols today can take much subtler forms.
Today, many people can idolise things like money, success, and even ministry, and these idols can penetrate the home and cause so many problems. As a result, so many homes have been broken and torn apart by these idols. Parents chase finances and corporate success at the expense of their children's nurture and guidance, thinking that it's their sole job to provide physically for their families. Children dishonour and disobey their parents because it's their "right" to do so.
It's very easy for husbands, wives and children to say that Jesus is the head of their home, but most often that's not the case. I admit that there are times that Jesus is not the centre of my home. When ministry gets daunting, finances become an issue, cultures clash and conflicts arise, sometimes I fall short and start putting the idols of self-righteousness, doctrinal accuracy and ministerial success right at the centre of my house. However, I thank God for His grace that He continually works in me and teaches me to trust Him more and more. I'm not there yet, but I'm getting there and so are we all.
Jesus Christ is and must always be the head and centre of our home because He alone is our true source of provision, significance, security and success. When we look to Him to fulfil roles that we cannot do on our own, we will discover that God can actually take care of our families better than we or any of our idols can.
When we seek God first in our families and trust in Him fully, placing Him at the centre of all our family affairs and concerns, He will take care of our households and bring blessing in ways that we never imagined before.
