Some Assembly RequiredSample

What does it look like to be a proactive boat-builder?

1. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the weak spots in your boat. Is the weak spot in you? Or in its passengers? Every single “passenger on your boat” will have his or her own unique tendencies and needs. The goal is to hear from the Holy Spirit and address the weak spots with the wisdom He provides; not what makes sense to you, or what is least convenient to you.

2. Be willing to put in the hard work. Yes, it’s easier to turn on the screen instead of sitting down to read together, but one produces better results than the other. Yes, it can be challenging to engage your four-year-old in conversation that holds yours and his attention simultaneously, but the payoff is when you’re looking across the table at a teenaged child who desires to hear what you have to say or wants you to know about their life. Yes, work is demanding and could easily consume every single second of your daily life. But when push comes to shove, the job provides for the family, not the family for the job. Yes, loading them up with a myriad of sports or extracurricular activities fills your life with activity and can even bring value to their growth in some areas. But if those activities stunt their overall spiritual growth, they must be lessened or removed altogether.

Something the Holy Spirit prompted me to do several years back was to implement a weekly discipleship session into our family’s calendar. While we were active in our local church, and openly discussing God’s Word, even memorizing it in small sections on our way to and from school each day, our children had come to an age where a more active Bible study approach was warranted.

So, Saturday nights became our weekly sacred session of prayer and Bible study. At first, it was uncomfortable. Can I just be transparent? We were completely at ease when the TV was on. Nobody was unhappy, irritable. The dog was snuggled in. But as soon as the TV was turned off and the Bible was brought out, the kids became agitated. The dog was anxious and had to be let in and let out, and let in and let out. There was a slight language barrier that arose to where what I was saying was seemingly not translating to them. I had to grit my teeth to talk about Jesus through my frustration! But I, by faith, had heard from the Holy Spirit that this was necessary. So, by faith, I kept plugging away at it—even at times, out loud, reminding satan where his place was. And it wasn’t in our home.

That tenacity quickly paid off. To a point to where 15 minutes turned into 30, then 45, then 60. Our prayer sessions began to grow and deepen, the discussion became more and more real. And the results of those sessions continue to echo through my life, and our daughters’ lives. Am I the perfect Bible teacher or Christ-follower? No. Do my kids still disobey on occasion? Yep. But are we growing in our understanding of and discipline in God’s Word and relishing in His presence? ABSOLUTELY. Hard work? Yes. Worth it? No doubt.

3. Work in unity with your fellow captains. If the captains of your boat are destined for different directions, no one will reach the divine destination. Many of you today are in a marriage where your husband is not leading spiritually—not leading himself, much less you or your family. Men, some of you have attempted to lead your home, but your wife remains at odds. And even more complicated, perhaps you are a single parent, attempting to co-parent with someone in a completely different household with a completely different set of household rules.

Parenting with someone who does not want to put in the hard work can be truly exhausting. Regardless, it is my prayer that you will be challenged to step up a level, regardless of where you are today, in your ability to follow Noah’s lead to become a By Faith type of boat builder. Like Noah, your greatest assignment on this planet is to build a boat to save your family from the destructive floods of this world. Sure, there's Some Assembly Required, but I believe you are just the one for the job!

Dig a Little Deeper

If you are in that wrestle today, ask the Lord to increase your faith to keep believing God is able to do what seems impossible right now. There may be a few conversations you'll need to have with your spouse, or co-parent, or the grandparents actively involved, but take them one at a time, praying for the perfect time, setting, and words for each one. Seek wisdom from God above. If He has called you to this, He will equip you for this. Stay on the assembly line, friend.