3 Ideas to Help You Build a Strong Christian Family

Life was simpler when my husband and I raised our children in the 80s and 90s. We didn’t have to compete with screens and digital technology, and although dark agendas were brewing, the voices of wokeness, cancel culture, and LGBTQ+ had not yet become the brazen forces that confront Christian values in America today.

The challenges to building a strong Christian family and keeping it intact are tremendous in today’s culture. Have you felt it? Are you overwhelmed by it?

If so, you’re not alone. None of us is immune to the pressures and challenges that threaten to disintegrate and fracture families. Counter-Christian agendas, overbooked schedules, social media and screens all intrude upon the best intentions.

Imagine Your Family as a Beacon of Light

And yet—God has destined families to be bright beacons of light in our neighborhoods, schools and workplaces. He has called your family to shine into the dark places of our society.

“‘You are the light of the world…'” (Matthew 5:14).

It takes a proactive strategy to withstand the forces that threaten to disintegrate and tear apart the family structure. How does a Christian family stay strong when the wind and waves beat against them?

Here’s Where to Begin

Building a strong, God-honoring family begins with building your house upon the Rock—digging deep and laying a strong foundation in God. Here’s what Jesus told His disciples:

“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock” (Matthew 7:24-25 NIV).

What does that look like, spiritually and practically? Going to church, praying and reading God’s word are foundational Christian disciplines, but the underscore to all of this is keeping God present in your daily life. It’s a matter of cultivating an awareness of God in your household.

Maintain an Awareness of God

“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” (Deuteronomy 6:6-7 NIV).

This doesn’t have to be complicated. Acknowledging God’s presence can look like praying for your child’s big test before he goes off to school or reminding your daughter that God sees her and loves her when the world seems against her. Your kids will know that you acknowledge God when they watch you make godly decisions in tough moments.

Build a Faith to Withstand the Wind and the Waves

“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming” (Ephesians 4:14).

Moments like this help establish and strengthen your children’s faith in an ever-present God when the winds of gender dysphoria or narcissism threaten their Christian beliefs. There are practical things you can do as well that can keep your family close when schedules and screens pull you apart.

3 Practical Ways to Keep Your Family Strong

These ideas may seem simple, but sometimes “easy” is a good place to start! Here are three practical ways to keep your family close to one another and to God.

Which one would be a good match for your family?

1. Family dinners. How often do you have a sit-down family meal? Here’s a way to bring it back without stress.

Make it special! Sometimes, we get a glorified image of the evening meal, the kind we see in old 50s television shows like “Leave It to Beaver.” Your family dinner doesn’t have to look like that, but you can strategically incorporate “together time” for your household, even if it’s just one night a week.

A meal on the calendar that nobody misses—a dinner prepared together—a brief respite in the busy week to regroup and reconnect.

How to do it: Choose a night that works within your family’s schedule and put it on everyone’s calendar. Then plan out the meal. It may be a simple meal like pizza and a salad, but it’s something your family does intentionally.

Set the table. Use real plates. Maybe even light a candle. Then breathe. Enjoy. One family I know takes a moment to have each person share the highs and lows of their week. With little ones, your special dinner may only last fifteen minutes, but it sends a signal to all: family and togetherness are important.

2. Green time! The competition for attention in the digital age can wear a family down. It may be unrealistic to totally unplug from technology, but research has proven the value of being in “the great outdoors.”

My kids are grown, but I make sure to get away from my computer and outside daily. There’s something about God’s design—the green of the trees and the blue of the sky—that eases my eyes and my spirit.

How to do it: Take time as a family to leave technology behind and go outside. Take a walk, play a game, eat at the picnic table. Everyone enjoys a rousing game of tag—even the teenagers if you bring them on board. Get creative and let God’s nature and His presence calm and reset your point of view. Try it!

3. Bedtime moments. Ending the day on a good note sets your child (and you) up for better sleep and a healthier mindset. When my kids were little and up through their teenage years, we all stopped what we were doing to gather before bedtime. Now that they are grown, I’ve realized the tremendous value of ending the evening, our last thoughts of the day, focused on God.

How to do it: Read books, read the Bible and pray together! Let each person take a turn to talk to God and release the day into His hands. It sets the stage for healthier sleep and gives your child tools for living that will carry them into adulthood.

It’s easy to let the days slip by and before you know it, the children are grown and off to college – or worse – the battering of the world has torn your family apart and you are left with pieces. With a little thought and planning, you can withstand the pressures families face in our society today.

Develop a strategy and watch what God will do in your family. In a society marked by increasing depression, anxiety and loneliness, your family can be a bright light of hope.