Relationships Reveal Your Roots
"Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged." - Colossians 3:20-21
When most people think about spiritual growth, their minds go straight to reading the Bible, praying, or maybe attending church. Those things absolutely matter, but if you really want to know how closely someone walks with Jesus, look at how they treat the people in their home. Discipleship doesn't just show up in a sanctuary. It shows up in how you speak to your spouse, how you parent your kids, and how you respond when tensions rise behind closed doors.
Paul doesn’t separate spiritual maturity from relational maturity. In fact, in this passage, he connects the two directly. After laying out what it looks like to put on the new self—compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and love—he immediately shifts to relationships. He talks about wives and husbands, children and fathers. Why? Because that’s where your character is tested and your heart is revealed.
It's one thing to sing about surrender and love in a worship song. It's another to show that same love when your spouse disappoints you or when your child disobeys for the hundredth time. The way you love your family says more about your faith than your church attendance ever could.
This passage reminds us that our homes are the training ground for holiness. If Jesus isn’t the Lord of your home, then He’s not truly the Lord of your life. You can't claim to walk in step with the Spirit while constantly walking over the people closest to you.
It's time to check the soil of your relationships. Are they rooted in grace or grounded in pride? Do your words build up or break down? If the Gospel has truly taken root in your heart, it should bear fruit in how you treat the people under your roof.
When most people think about spiritual growth, their minds go straight to reading the Bible, praying, or maybe attending church. Those things absolutely matter, but if you really want to know how closely someone walks with Jesus, look at how they treat the people in their home. Discipleship doesn't just show up in a sanctuary. It shows up in how you speak to your spouse, how you parent your kids, and how you respond when tensions rise behind closed doors.
Paul doesn’t separate spiritual maturity from relational maturity. In fact, in this passage, he connects the two directly. After laying out what it looks like to put on the new self—compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and love—he immediately shifts to relationships. He talks about wives and husbands, children and fathers. Why? Because that’s where your character is tested and your heart is revealed.
It's one thing to sing about surrender and love in a worship song. It's another to show that same love when your spouse disappoints you or when your child disobeys for the hundredth time. The way you love your family says more about your faith than your church attendance ever could.
This passage reminds us that our homes are the training ground for holiness. If Jesus isn’t the Lord of your home, then He’s not truly the Lord of your life. You can't claim to walk in step with the Spirit while constantly walking over the people closest to you.
It's time to check the soil of your relationships. Are they rooted in grace or grounded in pride? Do your words build up or break down? If the Gospel has truly taken root in your heart, it should bear fruit in how you treat the people under your roof.
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