Christian Moms & Your Husbands: Keeping Faith Alive. How Do You Do It?

I needed this post. Thanks for asking the question and thanks for all of the responses. Be blessed!!

God doesn't want you to fit him into your life, he wants you to fit life into your walk with Him.

We don't try to fit God in, or make time - He is always with us. If the feeling is sincere, you can talk to God anywhere or anywhen - we don't feel the need to have a special time or place. We just let them happen. Hear a siren? Say a prayer of goodwill. See a pretty sunset? Say a prayer of thanks. Sure, we do the prayers at bedtime and meals with the kids, but we are teaching them that God is always there for them, anytime. For me, it is the thanks especially that keeps us grounded. Sunsets, snuggles with the kids, bird song, cool shade on a hot day, the gifted hands of a doctor - these are things that help us remember that the Wonder is all around us, we just need to see it.

You don't have to carve out time for God. All the time you are in the car driving the little ones to activities or sitting in the doctor's office waiting or anywhere else, have a conversation with God. That's what I do. It doesn't have to be a formal setting - just check in whenever and wherever you are.

You never need to fit GOD in, he is always there. He is in your desire so you were never lost.

I talk to GOD constantly during the day where ever I am. I need to read my Bible more because praying is me talking to GOD and reading my Bible is GOD talking to me. My husband keeps his faith strong by reading his Bible constantly.

One of the things I look forward to is listening to Joyce Meyer on my lap top while I cook or first thing in the morning at work. www.joycemeyer.org

I am sure we all could do better in our walk with GOD just keep pressing forward. You just have to find your flow and make it work for you rather it be durning your bathroom time or listening to a christian station while you are driving to work.

N.:

CONGRATULATIONS!!! May your journey with God be one filled with many glorious things!!! Through the ups and the downs - God WILL be there for you!!

Keeping God a priority is hard when you have the societal pulls we have!! Keeping up with the Jones', sports and activities for kids, etc.

What do we do? We attend church TOGETHER. We pray TOGETHER. We say grace and hold hands while saying it at meals. We talk about God and the blessings we have. It's not like we say "okay - now it's time to talk about God" - we don't. We talk though!!

It's the little things that make the difference.

You have to make your relationship with God a priority...everything else will fall into place.

Proverbs 3:5-6

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.[a]

My fiancee and I do devotions together every night before we go to sleep. We often pray together in the morning. We attend church on Sunday morning, bible study on Wednesday evening, and small group Bible study on Saturday afternoon. Those are priorities. We don't schedule kids' activities on those days, and the kids attend church and bible studies as well.

We are busy, but we always have time for one another and plenty of time for the kids. We have Family Night every Friday and do a family devotion before we watch a movie together.

ETA: I agree completely with Suzie Q. But if you're a "new" Christian, or a "returned" Christian like my fiancee and I are, you'll find that you need to learn and "be fed" before you can go out and feed others. We are baby Christians who need milk before we can chew meat. We need to learn about Christianity before we go out and teach it. Ministry will come when we're ready.

God is already opening doors for ministry in our lives. My mom, who hadn't set foot in church in YEARS, saw the changes in my life and decided to return to faith as well. My children are growing and God is working in them (my 11 year old prayed silently at the table for the first time last night....without prompting or anyone saying anything to him). Our Life Team leader has asked us to teach a class in two weeks.

As I said previously, make your RELATIONSHIP with God a priority....everything else will fall into place. Devotions, church, prayer and most of all, worship, are tools to help us do that.

We both joined bible studies during the school year. It kept us accountable to stay in the Word.

You and your man are still "baby Christians", you need to pray morning, noon and night....maybe even more. Put God first in your life and keep faith and trust.

I think probably the best way you can keep your faith strong is to attend church every week, as a family.
I have noticed that the strongest Christian families I know are the ones who make BEING THERE a top priority.
I think the commitment to coming to the house of God, joining together in spirit and faith and song and celebration with others who believe as you do is a very powerful thing. And it only takes about an hour! Sure, you may miss out on your only day of the week to sleep in, but if it's that important to you you make it work, right?
The church we used to attend had wonderful programs, classes, bible studies and seminars for families, couples, women, men, children and teens as well. If Sunday morning is just too much you could still participate in those kinds of things to stay connected.

My husband and I were on the brink of seperating until we both found GOD, we were saved in 2010 and the transformation in our lives is amazing! We obviously attend church together and are both somehow involved in the church with volunteering. Our church is non denominational and I feel it's very open and accepting. So of course there are always classes going on and we try to jump in on one here and there. It's important to encourage your husband as the head of the spiritual household. We try to focus our deciions on what really is the right things to do. I am so fortuante that my husband has really taken to his role. I hate saying role becasue it sounds like he is somehow over me, but it's more me trusting in him, knowing we both trust Christ to lead us.

For me, the first step is realizing that "keeping God first" is Law. First Commandment stuff. (no other gods, and "gods" is/are anything that we fear, love or trust before God)

None of us can keep the Law. Period. So we all are going to have times when we fail to keep God first. It's as "natural" and expected and unavoidable as, ... well, as human sinful nature!

Then comes the Gospel!
Christ fulfilled the Law. And He covers our sin with His righteousness, by Grace.
There is nothing that WE can do to stay faithful. That is all accomplished by God. The only thing we can do is present ourselves where He tells us He will give us His gifts. So we go regularly to church where God's gifts are given to us again and again, in Word and Sacrament.

We do have devotions at home as a family, but it isn't on a regular schedule. It is usually when we are all at home near bedtime, which isn't every night.
But we TRY to our best to do the works of the Law (#3, Remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy)... which, according to Luther's Small Catechism, means to not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred, and gladly hear and learn it.
We pray daily, before meals, at bedtime, and any other time we choose.
We discuss Theology, not just in context of church, but with an eye towards our entire World View and how they fit together.

I always feel better when we leave church on Sunday after Holy Communion.
My husband puts it this way, in layman's terms: WE have only the faith given to us, as a gift. That faith clings to the Word and Sacrament. The more we receive the Word and Sacrament, the more that faith has to cling to. So we go where God says we will receive those things.

Yes, my husband and I are on the same page spiritually. He loves to read books on theology, and books discussing the "giants" of theology (St. Augustine, Luther, etc). We subscribe to a few online web blogs(?) that discuss relevant theological issues. (WorldViewEverlasting, for example) We read and discuss articles brought to the fore on Gene Veith's blog (Cranach, The Blog of Veith). We enjoy the movie reviews and video commentaries (Word on Fire), by Fr. Barron.

HOW do I do it?
I guess, really, I should say that "I" don't do it.
:)

It really helped for us to get involved in the church. We've made comittments. That keeps us in the presence of some great mentors.

One thing I decided to work on is not being a Sunday Christian. I'm still looking for ways to do that. I pray in the car on the way to work. I watch my Joyce Meyer and Joel Olstein - one for the down to Earth wisdom and one for the outta this world optimism! I try to meditate on the good points they make and read further into the scriptures our Pastor referances. I "try" I'm not saying I alwasy "do!" I keep threatening to do a daily devotional. Something that brings me back to center everyday. We have a few great gospel cds in the car. All these things sound silly and like fluff, but I like to think if you engage and think and use it as a time to reconnect, it can be powerful. I hope thoise ideas help.

Time for God comes first. :) You can pray while you are driving your children to those extracurricular activities, you can read your Bible in the bathroom when you get up...really doesn't matter when or how, it's just that you do it.

Reading your Bible and praying are essential to keeping your door open to God...His is always open to you, of course. You are both just babies in the faith, and you have to expect plenty of attacks. The devil would love to have you back, and will make you think you are "too busy", in your case...everyone has their weakness, and he'll play on it. Perhaps this is yours...that you have to make the time. You CAN do it!!

We sing together, we pray together...with our children, that's also very important...I take our children to church, and my husband doesn't go to church for reasons I won't get into but we ARE spiritually and evenly yoked and it truly makes our marriage wonderful. We also read the Bible together several times a day...morning, dinner, and night.

Congratulations, btw, on your salvation. It's the most beautiful gift God gives you, and I am so happy to hear this today!!! You've really made what was kind of a cruddy day on mamapedia (losing hope in humanity) much better.

My only advise is to first go to church every Sunday and stay active in the other activities too! Like service or help out with child care, start a play group with other young moms in you church, Do a monthly couples dinner. Have each couple take a turn hosting at their house. Whoever is hosting can make the main dish and everyone else bring a side. Whoever is hosting has to have a short 10 minute spiritual thought to share with a group, then the rest of the time you visit and eat. I find that have strong friendships with other people of my faith helps a lot! Also say family pray every night before bed and then have you and your hubby say a pray together at night before bed. Also make every Monday night family night. Again you do a spiritual thought or teach your children a new bible story, sing a church song, close with a prayer and then have a treat. The kids love it and it adds a little more time in your life to grow and learn more from the bible.

N.,

Let me first say that the part about never having to set foot in a church is incorrect. The purpose of the church is so that you fellowship with other Christians. You don't have to beat the door down for every activity, but you need it for the very reason you are asking, to stay encouraged, be refueled, see and hear Gods works/miracles. I have 3 girls who are into extra curricular activities (swim, soccer, track, volleyball), and my husband and I both work full time, so I understand busy. You have to carve the time, just like you carve the time for activities. You could even put it on your calendar at a certain time each night and sit and read. My husband has his devotional in the morning, I have mine at night. We should do it together, but a lot of times we dont. After the girls take their baths at night we crawl into their bed together and read some verses from the Bible, pray and then I kiss them goodnight. We've done it so long that if they are at a friends/grannys house they will call and ask me to pray with them over the phone. (I love that). Start by giving the kids a short verse to learn for the week. My very favorite: I can do all things through Christ. Phil 4:13.

I also listen to KCBI 90.9 FM or Heaven 97 AM in the car instead of other radio stations and at work. You will catch great encouraging programs and songs. If you can check out my pastor at 11:30 on this broadcast, you will be richly rewarded.

www.kcbi.org

http://www.kcbi.org/programs/program-guide/monday-friday

You could even try turning the TV off for 1 hour a week or day and listening to Christian radio, you will be uplifted. Listen to it while you work around the house. I tell the girls no TV on while we clean, but we listen to the radio. Try it.

Most importantly...buy you a set of index cards and start with maybe 10 (you pick the number), write a verse on each card. Post them on your bathroom mirror or keep in your purse. Look at them when you're waiting in line or waiting wherever. Commit scripture to memory, so that you have fuel to resist the devil and his temptations. The devil will try and keep us so busy, so that we don't have time for God. Then makes us believe we're doing it for the kids, mom, spouse,etc. You can sit and write these while you watch the news or your favorite show.

Here are a few of my favorite to get you started:

All things are possible.... Luke 18:27

It will be worth it...Romans 8:28

Cast all your cares on me I Peter 5:7

I give you wisdom I Corinthians 1:30

I now pray for everything, most people figure they'll only pray for "BIG" things. How funny is that...all of our things are LITTLE compared to God, so I pray for everything!

I'll be praying for you. Be encouraged. Visit a few churches to find one you like and begin to build on God's word. There is also a great non-denominational church in Arlington, off sublet you may want to visit them as well, while you search. http://www.nlifefellowship.org/

Yes I forgot...we all pray every morning in the car as the girls are being dropped off. Each girl prays, then me, then Dad finishes. It doesn't matter how short, just so you pray. Or you could all pray in the morning before leaving the house. Whatever their prayer is, do not correct it, they will get better as you continue.

Last but not least I was a christian before my husband, but he thinks he knows more than me now. LOL... I guess if you're going to compete that's the best area to do it.

Sorry this was so long, I hope it helps. God bless you!

Thumbs up to Amanda L, we're doing that as well with our girls especially since mine are into athletics. They're really blessed and see it after we had a talk about paralympics.

I start each morning with a simple meditation/prayer and end each day the same way. I have evening prayers with my kids before they go to bed. I teach them things throughout the day like...see that over there? Do you know what it is? and explain it to them. We have family rituals for holidays (at least the kids and I do) and make crafts and talk about the holidays. I really work at incorporating diety in my everyday life. Teaching my kids to be respectful, moral, and helpful are also ways to keep diety in your everyday life.

Do you go to church on Sundays together or Wed nights? There is a set comaraderie that comes with worshipping together, sharing your beliefs, problems, praises, saying the blessing at the table, or just reading Bible verses/devotionals/other reading material to share thoughts and stories. When life gets so rushed with getting to school/work on time plus extra-curricular activities it helps to know that there are times set aside during the week for down time to worship/fellowship or regroup. I would insist on those times with the spouse and children to get on the same page and remain on the same page. Incorporating these beliefs to your children and talking about God/laws/every day life helps you to remember that God is there and very aware of your needs and trials.

I go to church every Sunday (except in the summer), teach Sunday school and serve on a couple of committees. This, however, is not the important part of Christianity. I agree 100% with Suzie Q. My relationship with Christ is more about my actions and following his teachings. It is about being tolerant of others, not judging, fighting for the sick, the disadvanted and the poor.