As a parent, it’s our mission to raise our children to love and honor the Lord. In theory, this looks like praying around the dinner table and bringing our children to church. But building a Godly home is really so much more than that.
After having my daughter, I was a bit overwhelmed with how to raise her in a godly way. There was so much advice coming at me and some of it just wasn’t practical. I knew that God chose my husband and I to be her parents, but giving her a home that was rooted in Christ felt more difficult.
So in this article, I’m going to share some practical ways to build a Godly home…. Even if you are busy. Because let’s face it, sometimes the only thing we seem to have time for is the overflowing kitchen sink and piled-up laundry.
11 Ways to Build a Godly Home
Before I get into the different ways to build a Godly home, I need you to know that we don’t do this perfectly. There have been seasons where God is the last thing on our minds, so please don’t feel like you need to do ALL of these things.
We are all at different stages in our parenting journey, some are new to this and others have become comfortable and are just going through the motions. It doesn’t matter what season you are in, I hope that you can use these ideas on how to build a Godly home to help you set a foundation rooted in Christ.
1. Get on the Same Page
You and your spouse really need to sit down and figure out what your family needs. Maybe you are going to church and praying before meals, but you haven’t discussed things like doing a weekly Bible study.
This list will give you guys a lot to talk about and work through, but I think it’s important to have this conversation. It will help you both parent from the same core values.
I want to mention that if your spouse isn’t ready to help you build a Godly home, that doesn’t mean you can’t do it! It just may be a little more difficult to stay consistent. You could reach out to a friend and see if they want to work on this too. Having someone to keep you accountable, will help you through the rough patches.
2. Have a Family Bible Verse
When you are first building a Godly home, you need a foundation. Sit down and look through Bible Verses for families. There are so many beautiful and encouraging verses, it may even be hard to choose!
I highly recommend you pray over these verses and ask God to show you which is right for your family. This scripture doesn’t haven’t to be for forever. Some families change yearly, especially as their life unfolds.
3. Write Down Family Values
Every family is going to have different values that are important to them. Although I may believe one thing, you may think something totally different and that’s perfectly fine! I’ve heard of some families referring to these as “rules,” so you could think of it in that way too.
You want to write these down and put them somewhere as a constant reminder of what your family believes.
4. Be an Example
If you’ve been around my blog for a while, you know that I believe that parents need to set the example. Our words are important, but what follows with our actions matters the most.
My husband and I have decided to use a more positive parenting approach, which really focuses on being the example. Kids are constantly watching and listening to us… so we believe that’s how they learn.
Since our oldest daughter just turned 22 months, we are realizing that she’s like a little sponge. When we display love and kindness to ourselves and those around us, she naturally does the same thing.
We are both still a work in progress, but I’ve started studying what it means to look like Christ. The more I understand this, the easier it is for me to be an example for my children.
5. Normalize Prayer
I didn’t grow up in a Christian home, so I assumed that prayer was meant for before a meal. When I met my husband who grew up with a Baptist background, I was surprised to find that their family prayed before more than just their dinner.
Now that we are parents, we are trying to normalize prayer. I didn’t want this Holy moment to be something we only did before dinner, a big event, or when we were grateful for His blessing. Our kids need to see us having REAL conversations with God in the normal moments of our life.
What does this look like? Sometimes I talk to God on our walks and thank Him for all of His creation. Maybe we are driving and I see a homeless man on the street, so I pray that God would bless him and keep him safe. Other times I just have a conversation with Him in the middle of cooking dinner because this is the only time I have to think.
I want to look for the little moments in life and use these to normalize what it looks like to have a real relationship with the Lord.
6. Create a Safe Space
Living in a Godly home means it’s a safe space to grow, learn, and make mistakes. While our children are still under our roof, it’s important that we don’t restrict them completely but rather be there to catch them when they fall.
I love Brene Brown’s parenting manifesto. A lot of what I’m talking about when it comes to building a godly home is inspired by her work. If you aren’t familiar with Brene, she is a shame researcher. She is the reason we have decided to take a positive parenting approach with our children. We believe this parenting style will give them a safe space to grow into the people God created them to be.
7. Focus on Love
Jesus gave us two commandments…..
- To love the Lord God above all else
- To love your neighbor as yourself
I think it’s really important to make it our family’s mission to focus on love. When we are loving others, this honors and obeys what the Lord has called us to.
This doesn’t necessarily mean we need to volunteer 3 days a week and spend most of our time focused on outreach. We believe that
8. Trusting God with Your Children
As a parent, I know how difficult it can be to trust the Lord with our kids. Isn’t it funny that He is actually trusting us to raise them? It’s so easy to believe that we know best, but we need to let go and release them to the Lord.
If you struggle with worry as a parent, here are some of my favorite Bible Verses for when I’m worried about my children.
9. Create a Godly Atmosphere
We have friends that when you walk into their home, always have soft worship music playing in the background. Each time I’m there I notice it and find such peace in hearing this subtle reminder of the Lord.
Here are some things you can do to make Christ the center of your home:
- Play worship music
- Have Bible Verses hung on the walls
- Keep a Bible out and visible
- Have a daily calendar that includes a Bible Verse
10. Teach Your Children the Word
Maybe this looks like a family Bible study or learning a new verse each week, but it’s important to share what the Bible says with our children. You will need to be intentional about this one.
It’s also going to depend on your children’s ages on what is appropriate for them. Obviously, it’s going to be difficult for toddlers to sit through a Bible study, so take this into consideration.
11. Honor the Sabbath
In this busy culture, we need to rest. God created Sunday as the Holy day so we could rest and reflect on His goodness. Try your best to keep this day as such and not fill it with a long list of to-dos.
My Final Thoughts…
Raising children in a godly home isn’t easy, but it’s what we were called to do. No matter where you are in your parenting journey you can begin to implement these tips. I hope that this post has inspired you to start building a godly home, so your family can honor and glorify the Lord.
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