Family Worship: Essential and Enjoyable

Joel Beeke—a well known writer, seminary chancellor/professor, and pastor—says that family worship is the most important thing that he does. You might think that someone like him would talk about teaching classes, preaching sermons, leading worship or evangelizing the community are the most important things that he does. And, while those things are central, Dr. Beeke understands that all of his ministry work stands behind his ministry to his own family.

And Beeke also is clear that this essential ministry is not a burden: it is a joy. He says,

“I wouldn’t miss it for anything in the world. It’s the highlight of my day. It doesn’t mean it always goes perfect and it doesn’t mean it even always goes well, but I know and I feel to the core of my being that it is critical to have family worship.”

I appreciate Beeke’s honesty here. Family worship is the highlight of the day AND it can be tough. Both things are true. It’s like running or lifting weights, practicing the guitar or learning a language. Something can be difficult and rewarding (even fun!) at the same time.

Like all family-times, it can get messed up and things can go wrong. But hard things are often the best things. And it’s not always hard. I am happy to share that family worship has gotten easier over time in our family. It’s still imperfect, but it is… consistent. The biggest factor in everyone being able to enjoy it is that we do it every day. There are no surprises. The kids expect it. And we try to do it no matter what.

Voddie Baucham, who has also been influential in helping families read and pray together, shares about what this was like for his family:

“I must admit that arriving at a consistent commitment to daily family worship was not easy for our family.  We, like every other family, have so many things to do that the time often gets away from us.  However, once we decided that our time in the Word was more important and would have a more lasting impact than anything else we could possibly do, we decided to make our family devotions the immovable object in our family life.  If school or meals or free time or anything else has to move, it can.  However, when we rise (or at least right after breakfast) and before we lie down in the evening, we will spend time together around the Word of God."

I think this is key: make family devotions (family worship or family discipleship) an immovable object in your family’s daily schedule. Everyone likes doing things they are good at. And if you lead your family daily on a consistent basis, you will get better and better at it (even if you are bad at it now). Over time, you will grow to enjoy it more and more.

And as you grow, you can know that you are accomplishing the most important task of your life: discipling your family.