What I learned from 40 feet of rope
Written by Brian Jennings, Posted in Your Family
My friend Stacie Donaldson taught me a great illustration that I used during a sermon about how the church can save families. I think you’ll find it helpful too.
I unrolled a 40-foot long rope on the stage, and told our folks to pretend that the length of the rope represented the length of their week. I’d already marked sections of the rope relative to the amount of time my children spend in a normal week. I called some students to come stand by each marked section, so everyone could clearly see how it was marked.
For our family, about 15-feet of the rope represented sleep.
6-feet represented school and school activities.
A little over 1-foot represented church activities.
The remaining 18-feet represents the time they spend under our care (early morning, after school, and weekends).
Sure, these measurements aren’t exact; they change from family to family and week to week, but the point gets across: Parents cannot afford to abdicate their spiritual responsibilities to the church. While the church can partner beautifully with parents, and the church can stand in the gap for kids without Christian homes, parents will do more to lay the path for the future of their children than any other person or entity. Parents should embrace the church, but they also should never expect the church to provide enough spiritual leadership for their kids.
How does your week look? Are you leading your family in the Lord? Don’t give up. Don’t give in. We’re flawed, but God created us to do this. Let’s keep praying, and let’s keep growing in this area.
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