One of my greatest blessings was being raised in a healthy family. Of course, every family has some dysfunction, but my parents’ prioritization of our home truly made a lasting impact on me.
The older I got, though, the more I realized that the strong family structure I’d grown accustomed to was becoming rather rare. Once I became a husband, father, and pastor, I found that building loving, lasting relationships isn’t always as easy as my parents often made it seem.
Thankfully, none of us is left to do this alone! All throughout Scripture, we find encouragement and instruction on how to build the families our hearts long for.
Perhaps my favorite passage on this topic is a psalm originally written to celebrate the dedication of Israel’s temple. This song is a reminder that strong families, communities, and nations are built by honoring God.
Psalm 127:1-3 says, “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat—for he grants sleep to those he loves. Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.”
I love this passage because it takes the pressure off. The success of our family doesn’t depend on how hard wework. It depends on how much we allow the Lord to work! God’s heart is that we partner with Him to bring out the best in each of our family members. He knows that the stronger we grow individually, the stronger we will be together!
There are four fundamental ways to nurture potential in our loved ones’ lives. First, we have to model biblical style. (And I don’t mean clothes!) Style is a manner of doing something. As Colossians 3:12 and Romans 13:14 tell us, we are to live like Jesus so that those we love are drawn to Him through us.
We also have to nurture individual seeds. We have to treat people based on their potential, not their present circumstance. Then, we have to help them develop! Matthew 12:33 (NIV) says, “… “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.”
Next we must celebrate the spurts. We should always celebrate progress, as we continue to call forth potential. Great things don’t happen overnight; they happen over time! Proverbs 29:18 (MSG) tells us, “If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed.”
Finally, through every season, we must stay faithful to love like Jesus, nurture potential, and celebrate progress in the lives of those we love. When we partner with God, He will help us build the relationships our hearts crave. Take heart today, friend! Nothing is too hard for him!
