Family Dinners and the Glory of God (Charity Keldie)

Originally posted on www.insideprovidence.com 3/18/2008

A few years ago, Barry and I were laying in bed one night, spending some quiet time together with God. Barry was reading aloud a devotional out of John Piper’s Pierced by the Word. Usually, these times were a sweet encouragement in my spiritual walk, but on this specific night, my heart would be pierced in such a way that I would never again be the same.

We were reading “How to drink Orange Juice to the Glory of God” and if you’ve never read it, it is truly convicting. The basic idea of the devotion is taken form 1 Corinthians 10:31. “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

Piper addresses living a life in which everything you do brings God glory. I don’t know about you, but this was a blow to my wonderful little world. You see, I live a good life. I love God, study my Bible, pray, serve in the church and obey the law. So, I consider myself a “good” person. Unfortunately, when you hold my life up to the light of this Scripture, all of the sudden, my good life seems dark. If I were truly honest, the “all” that I do each day seems to do little to bring God glory. So, with a lot of prayer and trust that God will one day complete this good work in me, I began working to change the way I approach life and the activities of the day.

I truly felt my heart was being changed and I was well on my way to “doing all to the glory of God,” when yet again my life was changed forever. In November of 2006, God blessed Barry and I with a son. All of the sudden, I was not only responsible for living a life that brought God glory, but I was also responsible for raising a son to do the same. The weight of this responsibility seemed almost overwhelming. Suddenly, I began to pray like never before. And, I began to seek out ways to make each moment I have with my son moments that would reveal the beauty and majesty of God, hoping that one day, God would save his soul and he would begin his own journey of living a life that glorified God.

Here are just a few ideas to help turn a basic necessity into a wonderful time of worship for your family.

First, mealtime is a time families need to spend together. This is a foreign concept in America, but I would encourage you to sit down together and share a meal.

Secondly, take a look at where you eat. Does your table look like a place of worship? This is not an excuse to go out and buy a new dining set (although I have tried to convince my husband we should!) It is an encouragement to be intentional about surrounding yourself with things that draw your mind and heart to God.

My favorite thing at our kitchen table is a placemat I made for my son. We actually have about 10 placemats that I made because I tend to go overboard. Kids (and adults) like color and things to look at while they eat. It’s why we read the back of the cereal box. So, give your children something beneficial to look at during mealtime.

Use construction paper or poster board to make your child their own placemat. If your child is in a highchair, trace the tray onto poster board to make a custom-fit placemat. Cover it with things you are trying to teach your children about: animals, their name, family pictures or maps. Then, pick a Scripture that relates to your placemat and write it on the placemat. Do the same thing with a different theme on the back. Take the placemat to Staples or Mardels and have it laminated. Now you have a two-in-one placemat that teaches your child. Make sure you talk about what is on the placemat during mealtimes. Read the Scripture to your child. If they are old enough, work on memorizing the Scripture. You can use this concept to teach your children Bible stories. You can use crafts they do at church to decorate their placemat. Have fun and be creative. These placemats can costs as little as $1, but can help create an atmosphere that opens up discussion to the things of God.

Additionally, use your words to bring glory to God and teach your children during mealtime. Start each meal with prayer. This is not a task or duty, but a brief moment to show gratitude to God for meeting our basic needs. Children need to see and hear their parents not only acknowledge God, but show affection for and the need of God himself. If you have children who can speak in complete thoughts, let them pray. Sure, sometimes their prayers will be difficult to understand or even silly, but they are learning to interact with God! Allow them the opportunity pray – you will often be amazed at the depth of their words.

Finally, be intentional and glorify God in what you feed your family. I’m not saying you should slave over a three-course meal where everything is made from scratch. But we should make sure our families are fed in such a way that gives them strength and health. As believers, we are daily at war with the evil one who will use all means necessary to bring us to destruction. Protect your family by keeping them healthy.

None of these ideas are groundbreaking, they are just simple ways to take a moment of the day and begin using it to bring God glory. Hebrews 10:24 tells us to “stimulate one another to love and good deeds.” My hope and prayer is that we can stir one another to honor God in our homes. Think about how you use your time and resources and look for ways to teach your children about God and glorify Him in all you do. Hopefully, one day soon we will all celebrate the salvation of our children.