“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another.” 1 John 1:7, KJV.
God designed families to be one of the strongest forces for showing His love and design. However, the enemy attacks the family unit constantly—every day. Even the moments families share at the dinner table have diminished because of long work hours, bringing work home, relying on entertainment, and not intentionally setting aside quality time together.
Corporations, work schedules, school sports, favorite TV shows, church activities, and a plethora of other things compete for our attention, time, and money.
My husband and I teach several Bible studies during the week. We try to work with people’s schedules and usually teach at night; then we have prayer and mid-week services in the evenings, too. It’s so easy to go-go-go and forget that we need to sit and eat as a family unit. Sometimes, when we do get the chance to eat at home, we eat fast because we plan to go to the next thing.
Am I the only one?
I try my best to be intentional about spending quality time with my husband, daughter, and son, but it can be difficult. If this is a goal for your family, it may feel awkward at first. You may even wonder what you will talk about around the dinner table. But give it time. The more you do it, the more natural it becomes. Conversations will flow, laughter will come, and you may be surprised by how much you learn about the people you love.
I want my children to grow up remembering that we made time for one another.
It’s peculiar how we can feel the most distant from the people who are closest to us.
Sharing the Highs and Lows
It’s difficult to survey an entire day to your loved ones, so one thing my former Pastor and his family did as a tradition at the dinner table was share a lowlight and a highlight of their day.
A Lowlight
- A lowlight is the part of the day that wasn’t so good; maybe they stubbed their toe, witnessed an injustice, or someone said something hurtful.
A Highlight
- A highlight is the best part of the day; maybe someone bought them Starbucks, they formed a new friendship, or they received an award.
This family tradition was always full of laughter, and sometimes even tears, which helped us grow closer.
Today, I encourage you to be intentional about spending quality time with your family. My family lives in a different country, and months or even a whole year will pass before I see them, but I have set days and times every week when I call my mom; it’s not the same as sitting at the dinner table with her, but I’m still growing my relationship by staying connected.
Maybe connection happens on the way to soccer practice, or in the car on the way to church. Maybe it’s sitting around the dinner table for twenty minutes with the phones put away. It doesn’t have to be elaborate. It just has to be intentional.
Let’s fight for family time. Let’s make room for fellowship. And let’s make memories with the people God has entrusted to us.
Prayer: Lord, I pray that You would bless my family today and that You would help us grow closer with one another. Teach us what it means to be a God-centered family. I pray that You would protect them and keep them today. In Jesus name, amen.
