Social distancing means the community that was once outside the walls of our home, is now entirely within. This brings us closer as a family physically and relationally, but exposes weaknesses as well. What to do with them?

If there was ever a time to recognize the issues in a family, now is it. They tend to be glaringly obvious when you spend hours, days and weeks on end together. Much like Dr. Seuss’s There’s a Wocket in My Pocket, our issues tend to pop up around every corner of the home in all shapes and sizes.

How easy it is to brush aside our selfishness, our offenses, our laziness and our brokenness when life moves along at a nice little clip. When the only time we are faced with them is a few hours at night before we crash into our pillow vowing to deal with it all on the morrow. But, we are not Scarlett O’Hara and we cannot think about that tomorrow when yesterday, today and tomorrow are all endlessly blending together in a long drawn out display of: us.

Daunting? Actually, this is a good thing. Issues swept aside take root, bear fruit and spread their ruinous seed everywhere. However, this “stay at home” order is just the thing to shine a spotlight right on those hidden issues. It is a brilliant opportunity for God to do some pruning and cultivation. And His snippers are ready.

Below I will add a few of my favorite resources for family development and I would love it if you added your’s to the comments as well. Let’s give our home life our undivided attention. In the words of Wendy Speake,

“A double-minded man cannot wield a double-edged sword.”

If we long to see victory, lets not push the dirt aside any longer or look for an easy way out. Let’s allow God to use our weaknesses as a chance to display His miraculous power.

He is after all our: Defender, Restorer, Provider, Healer, Peace and Joy.

Read John 15:1-12, Romans 12:2 and pray Psalm 139:23-24.

Psalm 139:23-24

Father, I offer my heart to you for pruning. “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Shine your light into our family, and remove any grievous ways in us.

Additional Resources:

• Holy Bible – This isn’t lip service. It’s a living sword and God has placed His power in it to convict and reveal those hidden things. We aren’t going to make any real progress without it.
• Triggers: Exchanging Parents’ Angry Reactions with Gentle Biblical Responses by Wendy Speake and Amber Lia (So practical. I have read and reread this book.)
• Parenting with Love and Logic by Foster Cline and Jim Fay
• The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts by Gary Chapman (This is classically for marriage. I find it is applicable to kids as well. They do have a child-focused version of this book but I have not read it.)
• Contact a christian family counseling service if you need to. They are open, and they are there to help you find wholeness.