If you don’t build on this, your family culture will be crooked

Last week’s rhythm leads us into the vital component of establishing your family culture. It’s our starting point and if we get this foundation wrong, we’re going to get it all wrong.

Have you ever tried to build a backyard playground and the boards didn’t quite line up? Or have you ever tried to tighten down a fastener and the threads of the bolt didn’t line up? Off-centered and crooked cross threads don’t make for solid structures.

What’s the secret sauce?

“Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭127:1‬ ‭ESV‬‬

In the same way that we don’t create growth in any of the plants in our gardens, we don’t create growth in our homes. The best we can do is create the conditions that set everything up for growth. We don’t create it. That’s the Lord’s work.

Are you like me? So many times I try to play God and create the growth and then I’m frustrated when it doesn’t come. In a way, that’s God’s kindness to reveal that I’m not Him.

So what do we do? We pray.

It’s not magic. It’s not complicated.

How we act here reveals where our confidence is. Do we take our requests to God first? Do we ask the Lord to build up our house before we take up the tools ourselves to start building it? We must work, but it’s God who grants the growth.

For you to think about this week:

1. Do you struggle to pray?

2. Do you try to act or build before you pray?

For you to act on this week:

1. This week, pray each morning that God would build your house. Then when you’re about to act or react to a situation, ask God in the moment to give you wisdom.

This very element of praying before acting is at the heart of what why this newsletter exists. The forthcoming book I’ve written is about praying before acting. If you’ve found any benefit of this newsletter or know someone who may want to go the same direction, would you share a subscribe link?

http://jpsimons.Beehiiv.com/subscribe

That’s it for this week! Next week we’ll bridge the gap between the abstract and practice. This is a lesson I learned from a mentor in the faith and you won’t want to miss it.

Talk to you soon!

~ J.P.