What are we talking about today?
What does Jesus’ life teach us about Christian family relationships in the modern world? He is the only one who can love perfectly, so let’s try to follow him.
In today’s episode, we’ll look at his principles, strategies, and actions for loving his people well, and apply them to our busy modern family lives today.
Ready? Let’s dive in.
Listen to Episode 58:
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Snag your resources here!
If today’s topic is meaningful to you, you’ll also want to check out these earlier podcast episodes that connect with this same topic:
- Episode 12 // 6 Creative Ideas For Devotional Time With Your Husband to grow spiritual intimacy in your marriage
- Episode 20 // Finding joy in the Lord during seasons of pain and sadness
- Episode 34 // How can we intentionally shape our family life? Psalm 1 in the Bible gives wisdom and biblical encouragement to the busy mom.
- Episode 53 // How the Gospel changes us, shapes our family life, and brings us peace and happiness.
Let me also offer a FREE resource that I know will be helpful:
If you want to love your family well and follow Jesus’ example, you need to have a close intimacy with Jesus in your day-to-day life. But that can often feel very overwhelming and difficult to do! If this is you, grab a copy of my FREE Holy Habits: 45-Day Bible & Prayer Challenge.
This free guide provides 45 days of Bible readings, questions to guide your thinking and understanding, and specific prayer prompts to help you feel more comfortable reading the Bible and talking to the Lord. And after 45 days, you’ll have a great new habit to continue on your own!
[This post may contain affiliate links. If a purchase is made, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.]
Today's Episode Highlights
As a Christian mom, I want my family relationships to be centered in the life and person of Jesus Christ. And sometimes, when I read the Bible, it feels so far away from my every day life!
Family life in biblical times was very different than family life today. I’m raising my family in middle class America in the 2020’s and trying to follow the example from a single man who lived over 2,000 years ago in the Middle East.
Yet, I can follow his example!
Jesus is the only Person who ever loved perfectly. He had family, friends, and followers – and He loved them all in exactly the right ways.
So, let’s look at 9 lessons from how Jesus loved his people, and apply them to our own lives today.
A bonus tip
Even with principles and action steps in mind, I find it difficult to keep all of my family relationship goals in mind during busy days. That’s why I love using The Hope Planner to guide my days. It is a prayer journal + planner, so it keeps me focused on God first, then my family relationships, and only then do I move on to the to-do list and the schedule. Check out the Hope Planner here!
9 lessons from the life of Jesus
Jesus loved his people perfectly… and we want to do the same! Here are 9 principles and actions we see in the life of Jesus that will help us.
- Have a heart of humility toward the people in your life. In Philippians 2, the humility of Jesus in loving people is highlighted well.
- Act in ways that serve and help them, like Jesus did at the Last Supper when He washed the disciples feet.
- Spend time with them, intentionally, living life with them. Jesus called his disciples to “come, follow me” and he purposefully shared everything with them.
- Love sacrificially. Jesus loved us (even while we were still sinners!) so much that He died for us. And He calls us to love sacrificially too.
- Expect sin and trouble to be part of your relationships (and your own life). Jesus was betrayed by his friends at the most important moment in his life. We must be realistic about the fact that sin will be part of our family life.
- Know that forgiveness will be required (and impossible without God). Jesus forgave, and continues to forgive us today. Whenever we confess, He forgives. We must do the same with our family, through the power of the Holy Spirit.
- Pray for the people you love. (Read John 14-16 for a beautiful prayer from Jesus at the end of his life.)
- Put God first, and obey his commands… even if your loved ones disagree. When Jesus talked about going to Jerusalem to die, Peter scolded him. But Jesus did not turn away from God’s plan to please even his best friend: “Get behind me, Satan,” was his strong and immediate response.
- Worship God together. Many times, Jesus worshipped with his disciples. The Last Supper is a great example of this.
How to love your people well today
No matter what century or culture we live in, we can (and must) love our people in these same ways.
If life feels too busy to stay grounded in the ways of Jesus, let me encourage you again to check out two helpful resources:
- Get my free Holy Habits: 45-Day Bible and Prayer Challenge, to start a daily habit of Bible reading and prayer.
- Check out The Hope Planner for a practical tool to help you focus on prayer for your family and put some of the ideas above into action in your schedule.
Friday Faith Follow-up
Why should we care about how Jesus loved his people? In this quick bonus episode, we will look together at the famous “I AM” declarations Jesus makes in the Gospel of John. We’ll be encouraged together about the incredible truth of Jesus Christ!
Hey, before you go!
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A reminder of the Disclaimers & Disclosures Policy: I am an affiliate with many of the resources I recommend, which means I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase through my provided links. I never recommend products I don’t love! Also, I am a licensed therapist but this podcast is not therapy. It is not professional or personal advice to your specific situation. Get info about professional counseling here.
