Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to Him. You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours. — Psalm 128:1–2
With all the darkness, corruption, and crisis in our world, it's easy to see how much needs to change. But we don't enact change by being overwhelmed by turmoil that is outside of our control. We honor God with what we can, not by yelling at the darkness but by lighting a candle and letting it shine.
One crisis that exists is a son problem. Children who grow up without dads are harmed and often do harm. And we will see even more of this if the family unit continues to unravel.
Instead of despair over what you can't do, ask this question: What can you do? Consider your marriage. Are you loving and serving your kids? Home is where you effect change that can bring God's peace to your city, your nation, and the world. What can be done to serve and help those who are growing up in single-parent homes? Godly men or women serving in Sunday school, youth group, and mentorship programs can make massive differences in the lives of those who don’t have dads or moms in their lives.
Consider Psalm 128. The psalmist talked about a vineyard and an olive tree (v. 3). Why a vineyard? Because grapes must be cultivated, protected, nourished, and connected.
Why an olive tree? It has generational staying power. One of the oldest living trees on this planet is an olive tree. In Bethlehem of all places. Estimates of its age vary, with some suggesting it could be as old as four or five thousand years.
There are olive trees in Jerusalem that are older than Christ. It is stunning to walk into the garden of Gethsemane knowing many of the trees were there when Jesus prayed in the garden. I love that this tree with longevity and legacy is the tree we are meant to associate with our children.
God wants you to have a bigger, longer, more impactful vision for your life and family.
He desires rings of impact to ripple out from your family tree. But He is also faithful to keep His covenant for a thousand generations.
Look beyond where you stand! Believe for the little olive saplings that, by the way, take ten to fifteen years to produce meaningful fruit. And don't despair if it seems they aren't listening. Today, while it is still day, prioritize
- your soul,
- your marriage,
- your kids,
- your closest relationships,
- any children you get the chance to influence and open doors for —
- and bring people into your home to sit at your table and witness the fruit and light of Jesus.
Your dinner table, be it a fancy setup or a flimsy folding table, is meant to be an extension of the kingdom and a powerhouse of advancing the love of God in and around the world.
The Son of Man came eating and drinking. — Matthew 11:19
And so can you.
Since you don't have a clue how much time is left on your clock, the response shouldn't be to make a bucket list and frantically eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow you die. But rather may it be, “Let's eat, drink, and have joy in the Lord because He is in control of tomorrow!”
Let’s do this one day, one meal at a time. Until we eat and drink in the Kingdom, it’s glasses up as we proclaim, “Here's to the King!” (I am convinced that communion should have this celebratory ring of cheers to it more than just the somber note of a funeral dirge.)
Focusing on these small and often overlooked areas of our lives is extremely important — because added together, they become massive over time. I am more convinced than ever that it is not the flashy big stuff but the faithful little things that God loves to bless.
We get trapped in big worries about our kids’ futures and the problems in our world, but literally a box of Hamburger Helper and some Sprite are all it takes to start being the change you want to see in the world. Studies show that children who get to sit around the table more often do better in school, develop a more robust vocabulary, less likely to abuse drugs, are less likely to be sexually active, and are more likely to go to college.1 2 And it doesn’t even have to be home-cooked food — it can be fast-food, provided you take the time to sit around a table while you eat it. The number to shoot for is five times a week. But with fast-paced lives, sports, and commutes, family meals are often eliminated.
This should give you hope and unlock your agency. It is easy to be paralyzed with fear, feeling like you can’t do everything. But you can do something. And when you do, you move from a disempowered state to an empowered one.
So, make your bed in the morning and turn the TV off and gather your people around the table. Pile up the phones in a basket, break some bread, and look each other in the eyes. Eat until you are full and laugh until you cry. This is how you change the world.
Heavenly Father, would You lead me, one step at a time, to bring about change as You move in and through my life and as I seek to serve others today? Amen.
Watch the Video
1. Anne Fishel, “FAQ,” FamilyDinnerProject.org, accessed September 13, 2024, https://thefamilydinnerproject.org/resources/faq/.
2. Richard Gordon in L. Shannon Jung, Food for Life: The Spirituality and Ethics of Eating (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2004), 65.
Written for Devotionals Daily by Levi Lusko, author of Blessed Are the Spiraling.
* * *
Your Turn
Do you sometimes feel paralyzed by fear because the world is in turmoil and overwhelming? Light a candle and let it shine! How can you be faithful in the little things? It doesn’t need to be big and flashy. Celebrating the King of glory in humble ways is important and effective! ~ Devotionals Daily