Winter 2019

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12
Do Something!
BY BRAD DITTMER
Family devotions. WHAT do we do? WHEN do we do
it? HOW do we do it? These are questions we may ask,
sometimes we have thoughts and ideas with answers,
and sometimes we have NO idea.
Life is never dull for our family. My wife and I have beenmarried
for 26 years and have ten kids ranging in age from3 to have
multiple businesses, have homeschooled since our oldest was
ready to start learning, and have worked in ministry for over 15
years, serving as lead pastor in our small church for the past nine
years. Because I am a pastor, you might assume that our family,
though busy, has daily family devotions. You would be incorrect.
We are a family that sometimes does great with family devotions
or, as we call it, “Family Time.” We consistently do 4-6 days a week.
We read scripture; we pray, all the way from the youngest to Mom,
then Dad. Every. Single. Person. Sometimes it takes a while. We
will also go through our calendar for the day and look ahead to
days depending on what is coming up. During these seasons, our
family functions well. We have more unity, more connection.
However, there are also weeks, sometimes many weeks, that
we do not have Family Time at all. Can I just say, my family does
not operate as well in those dry periods. It is noticeable and
something that we cannot allow to go too long. It was during one
of these dry seasons that the Lord taught me that if I’m feeling
overwhelmed and like we cannot accomplish everythingwe have
committed to, it is not because God gave us all of those things
to do. Rather, it is because we have added too much to our own
lives, more than God expects or even wants us to do. One of the
greatest threats to our relationships with our family, friends, and
God himself is busyness. It is possible to overcommit, even to
good things, which is why it is important to prayerfully consider
adding anything to our personal or family schedules. When our
family starts to consistently miss Family Time, my wife and I know
that it is time to re-evaluate our family’s commitments and make
some adjustments.
So how shouldYOU do family devotions?You can do devotions
with your family daily, weekly, or a few times a week. You can
do devotions with your children individually or with the whole
family. You can do devotions in the morning, at lunch time, after
supper, at bedtime, or in the car between activities. You can read
books or magazine articles and listen to podcasts that tell you
exactly how to do devotions with your family. You can follow a
plan or simply follow the Lord’s nudging as you go day by day.
Basically, there is no wrong way to do family devotions as long as
you remember one simple thing: Just DO SOMETHING.
You are not the author of that book you read. You are not exactly
like or in the same situation as that person on the radio or podcast.
You are unique, your family is unique, and your circumstances are
all going to be a little or a lot different than others. As you learn
and/or get ideas from other people, allow yourself the freedom to
do what is best for your family, your unique family.
A fantastic way to begin is to sit down together, limit the kids
freedom to move around, put all of the phones away, and pick
the Proverb of the day, read it, and ask the question:“What part of
this Proverb do you remember,”and“What did you find important
to you?” After reading the Proverb of the day and having some
discussion about it, pray together. Whether that is one person
praying or allowing everyone to pray, just pray.
Another easy way to get started is to pick up a daily or weekly
devotional book from your local Christian bookstore and to use
it as a guide for your family devotion time. You can even find
resources online that will give you an outline to follow and get
started. Remember that it is not necessary for you to be a Bible
scholar to lead your family in devotions. You simply need to
have a desire to learn more about God. Pick a scripture, read it
with your family, and take time to pray together. Start simple.
Set easy-to-reach goals. And once you have mastered those,
you can add more. If a commitment to daily family devotions
feels overwhelming, commit to once a week, and build from
there. Just DO SOMETHING!
I wish I could say that we are the perfect example of how to
do family devotions, but we aren’t. Maybe your family is. If that
is so, cherish that consistency and do not take it for granted. Re-
member that one too many extra commitments can derail your
schedule. You must guard against that busyness. For the rest
of us, don’t give up. Remember the only people that fail are the
ones that do not get back up after they have fallen. Taking time
to have family devotions will make your family stronger and
draw you closer to God. It’s worth the effort, so make a plan and
just DO SOMETHING.
Brad Dittmer serves as the pastor of Centerville Assembly of God. Brad and his wife Sarah
homeschool their ten children. Brad is intentional about being part of the community and
serves on various boards and advisory councils locally and at the state level. He and Sarah
also served on the Homeschool Iowa Board of Directors.