Our children are pretty well-trained to help out around the house. They have scheduled chores that they do on a daily basis, but I can also ask them to give me a hand with odds and ends that are needed throughout the day.
However, sometimes they need help in order to be so helpful to me. For example: as my little ones napped this afternoon, I thought ahead to what job they would be doing when they got up…dishes! Now, one can wash and the other can rinse, but they aren’t yet proficient at putting in “just enough” dish liquid or getting the water temperature just right. For that matter, they get a bit frustrated by things that are too heavy for their little hands, or pans that are too tough for them to scrub. So my job—before they did their job—was to wash a couple of pots and pans, then make sure the sink was just full enough of warm water and bubbles. As I blog, my three and five year-old daughters are now busily washing and rinsing
the remaining dishes! They are not even aware of the work that I did beforehand.
How does this relate to family and ministry? Well, sometimes (given the number of young children we have), I wonder if we’re “doing” enough. We want our children to have a heart for the lost and to be “ministry minded”—but if actual, hands-on opportunities get to be few and far between, how do we facilitate this process?
It helps me to remember that in ministry (just as in this example with my girls) there is the work that we immediately associate with a given task. But there is also preparatory (and often unseen) work as well.
So even though, as a family with lots of “littles,” I’m not (ever) out there witnessing in the streets, I try to think of what we can do to help out before, during, or after others (like my husband) do the actual work of the ministry. At one time, I helped out by making lists of visitation possibilities for evangelistic outreach. I also followed up with phone calls after the visits. When we know of someone who is doing the work of evangelism, we pray for them and for those with whom they come into contact. Prayer is an important, unseen work in the process of sharing the gospel!
We can also encourage others in their ministry, whatever it might be, by sending cards or making occasional phone calls. Letting people know that we are praying for them or that their work is appreciated is never a wasted effort. Such encouragements often provide a boost to someone who may be weary in serving, and can be an impetus for them to press on in whatever God has called them to do.
As parents, we are constantly engaged in “preparatory work” when we make the effort that is needed to disciple our children: training, instructing, encouraging, and disciplining them. We help our children to grow in Christlike character as we live a life of example, teach from God’s Word, encourage proper behaviors, and correct misbehavior—always with their heart and their relationship with the Lord in mind. So when we do get an opportunity to engage in more active (or “obvious”) ministry as a family, we are all prepared to be a true witness for Christ, glorifying Him in the way that we behave.
So if you, like me, are a home mom, don’t be discouraged because you are not “doing” any ministry. Think about how you, and your children along with you, can continually participate in others’ efforts—even (and especially) in unseen ways. And remember that very moment of every day, you are on the front lines, preparing your children for a lifetime of serving the Lord.