In Matthew 25, Jesus tells his followers a parable about the three servants who were entrusted with a portion of their masters assets while he traveled for an extended period of time. The first two invested what they were given in such a way that it doubled by the time the master returned. The third, being afraid to fail or invest or take a risk, buried his bag of silver and returned back to his master only what he had initially been given, blaming the master for his own failure. Pointing a finger at the flawed character of the master, he justified his failure to gain a profit. The first two were rewarded for the effort they put into making money for their master, while the third was considered to be wicked and lazy and was tossed into outer darkness.
Consider for a moment, Jesus sitting across the table from you, sharing a meal and discussing the fact that "X" number of years ago he gave you a family, entrusting your spouse and your children into your care so that you could multiply His Kingdom. He depended on you to do all that you could do to honor Him and love and direct them to the One who made them for a purpose. Now, He has returned to hear how well you did with what you were given. Did your spouse grow closer to you and to Jesus because of the unconditional love your freely gave? Did your children greet Him at the door, knowing exactly who He was because you showed Him to them daily through the fruit of the Spirit working in your life? Are you anxious to show Him the neighbors that you have told all about Him or the friends who are now believers because of your families influence? What evidence would He see that your focus remained intact and you diligently worked to show your family the God you love and follow? Would you be able to show Him that you had invested hours every day to reflecting His love in your home?
Or maybe you didn't invest quite as wisely and aren't quite as eager to show Him the return on your investment. Perhaps, at the moment you and your spouse aren't even speaking to each other and the kids are safely sequestered in their rooms, or at their friends house staring intently at a screen, diligently trying to save the world from a zombie apocalypse. Maybe you haven't exactly led the charge to stop world hunger or even volunteered at the neighborhood food pantry. Possibly, you are feeling like you didn't get a fair warning of what was expected of you as a wife or a parent. You had no idea that God intended to use your union with your spouse to draw others to Him and multiply His Kingdom. Marriage is about love and meeting each other's needs and growing old together, as far as you knew. And that is way more work than you ever signed up for!
Now, before you start to panic about being tossed into the eternal darkness that the unfaithful servant earned in the parable, take a deep breath and realize that you still have time to make the investment that will bring a celebration. Step back and look at your family. What you are looking at is both your mission field and your missionaries. Now is the time to pour life into them. Not information. Not rules and regulations. I have never seen that grow into anything life-giving. What brings life is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. When God lives in us and we walk with Him daily, those are the things that grow within us and leak out for our families to witness; to enjoy; to desire for themselves. That is contagious Christianity.
The transformation that takes place in you, is the best way to see transformation happen in your home. Once that begins to happen, it will reach beyond your home into your neighborhood and into missions for which your family becomes passionate. You have been given your family, not just to bless you, but to become part of a team that can reach into places you never could reach on your own. Spread the love of Jesus to your family first and wait patiently for them to grab hold of the abundant life that Jesus promises those who follow Him. You can't make the decision for them, but you certainly can be their primary influence. Commit to investing the time to grow in your faith and tell them your story - show them God at work in you - love them with a new kind of love - be a blessing to them and to others. Before the Master returns and sits across the table from you...
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