The Only Thing You Can Take to Heaven With You Is Your Wife and Kids
By Nick Griffitts
As a Christian man, leading my family in the right direction is both my greatest privilege and greatest responsibility. But the truth is, you cannot lead where you aren’t willing to go.
Leading our families starts first internally. You don’t have to be perfect, but you do have to be willing to change and grow. Growth isn’t about massive leaps; it’s about small consistent steps taken overtime toward a clearly defined goal. The clearer the goal, the easier it is to recognize whether your daily actions are keeping you on track or pulling you off course.
For me the goal is simple but profound, I want my kids to know God personally. I want them to not just know about Him but to have a real growing relationship with Him. That raises an important question for us as parents and leaders: Do we know God personally? Is our relationship with Him growing – or has it stalled?
I want prayer to feel natural for my girls, a developed habit. But before that can happen I have to ask myself, do I turn to God in prayer consistently? More importantly, do my girls see me doing it? Not just at dinner, not just at bedtime. But in moments of struggle….and in moments of celebration. When life hits hard, do I pause and pray with them right there on the spot? When something goes well, do I lead them in gratitude? Our kids learn far more from what we model than from what we say. Let them learn by our example. Show them what it looks like.
It’s easy to get swallowed by the busyness of life. Years pass quickly, routines repeat, and before we know it, we start to feel less significant – like we are just blending in. Over time, identity and purpose can fade. We were never created to blend in. We were created to shine. To thrive. To walk closely with God and to build strong, Christ – centered families.
“So, God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27
That’s us. That’s our children. When we truly believe this – and help our families believe it – our identities become rooted in Christ. Our kids learn that their worth doesn’t come from performance, comparison, or worldly approval. They understand they were created on purpose, with purpose. Bottom line, they don’t need the world to define them. The real dad win for me is watching my kids turn towards God on their own.
