We’ve Replaced Heritage With Hustle
Psalm 61 and the Family Table
When did you last sit at a table and speak to your family about God doing something miraculous?
Do birthday celebrations, Christmas, Easter, or even your average Tuesday dinner include Jesus?
Don’t feel bad if your answer is, “not really.” And if you don’t have kids, this is still for you.
This morning I read Psalm 61. David is once again in a tight spot. But instead of reaching for comfort—wine, entertainment, or distraction—he reaches for God:
“Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” (Psalm 61:2)
He knows the way out is possible with the God who intentionally leads.
He remembers God led:
Abraham to a land of promise, through battles and miracles.
Moses through ten rejections by the most powerful man on earth—and then through the Red Sea and 40 years of wilderness miracles.
His people, again and again, by His presence.
How could David recall this with such clarity in a troubling time?
Heritage > Career
“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home, when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”
— Deuteronomy 6:6–7
David didn’t pull theology from thin air—he pulled it from the rhythms of his home. In Jewish tradition, God's Word wasn’t optional or occasional. It was life.
The Scripture was:
Told at mealtimes
Sung in psalms
Memorized from childhood
Displayed in jars, symbols, and feasts
Even manna was kept in jars—physical reminders of supernatural provision. (Someone probably turned it into a supplement—entrepreneur brain talking!)
Reading Psalms, one can conclude that Jesse (David’s Dad) crushed it as a Dad and did what Deuteronomy said. The shepherd boy who became a King was saturated with God’s truth, which led to a deep-rooted relationship with God, shining in times of tribulation.
The West’s New Religion: Careerism
Today, truth is optional. Career is sacred.
We educate kids for success, not for the soul. Home discipleship is an afterthought. Many homes are ruled by screens, menus, schedules, and the hurry of modern life.
We’ve outsourced our freedoms to:
Jobs
TV
Social media
Children's books with softened truth
Games and entertainment
And the most powerful voices of formation—mom and dad—have gone quiet.
But in David’s time? Memory was formation. By age ten, Jewish boys had memorized the Torah (Genesis to Deuteronomy). Let that sink in.
We have more freedom, tools, and access to the Bible than any generation in history, yet we often do less with it.
Early on, traditions weren’t optional. Feasts like the passover weren’t hobbies. They were identity markers. They retold these stories because they believed that who you are is shaped by what you remember.
Convicted? I am. And angry. And frustrated. And excited. Because God has taught me the right way.
Never Finished Challenge: Take back your heritage
Kids or no Kids, Deuteronomy 6 still applies to you:
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 encourages and commands,
“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts…”
This reminds me of what Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind.” Heart stands out to me. That means whatever you learn from God during your time with Him will greatly influence your relationship with Him, allowing you to ‘be’; then, you’ll be able to ‘do’.
“Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” If your home life has been saturated with truth, as it is said, “you will recognize them by their fruit.” Then, in public, the opportunity to impress what you've learned from God on people around you will not feel like a task; it will be a normal part of your life, a joy, a great calling, a purpose.
Let's be people who zealously reclaim a relationship with God in our homes.
Stop separating career from calling. Your job may change, but your calling never expires.
Flip the modern model upside down and declare on your door frame with the blood of Christ,
”As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Josh 24:15)
As you can tell, I am fired up, so let me pull my fire back and give you some practical ways you can do this:
I open the Bible at every meal and read a verse.
We memorize the verse our church teaches the children to memorize–hand motions and all.
We’ve read the children’s Bible three times (our eldest is under 5). We also play the Bible audibly in the car. Their brain grows to 80% of their adult size from newborn to three. They absorb everything as their character develops up to the age of seven. Their adult personalities are being formed as well. I am amazed, sad, and extremely frustrated to hear well-meaning parents say, “I want them to figure it out, and I want to expose them to many things.” Scripture doesn’t say to do that, and logically, if you stop long enough to think about it, you're basically saying, “I'll let the world develop their character and identity.” Because, in reality, they are way too young to understand the right way.
Parents, don’t delegate your child's character. The world will eat it up. Yes, even Disney movies will. Caveat here: Some of you did everything right, and our child still went black sheep. Trust God. He didn’t ask you to be obedient based on results. He asked you to be obedient, no matter the results.We often discuss the miraculous stories of what God is doing in our DAILY lives. Can you guess how our kids respond? Three girls, five and under? With blank faces. Once again, it is not how they respond, it is what you speak and how you act in front of them that matters. They are absorbing everything you say and do. And no, it's not too late to start.
We observe creation. It often goes something like this, “Look, Sophia. Look at that beautiful tree. There are so many colors and so many shapes. What does that tell you about God?” Blank face. “It says that God is creative. He designs so many different things, expressing just a small part of His character. Etc…” We also do that with manmade creations. We conclude that God made humans to create astonishing things!
We play worship songs only.
We send them to Christian-led daycares and higher babysitters who are not babysitters but partners with our family. We emphasize that we want the family partners to teach them about Jesus.
Our community, a tight circle, loves Jesus, so they see others who are doing what we do. Yes, we still hang around unbelievers and have unbelievers over for dinner so they can see that side as well, as long as the unbelievers are not speaking evil. Once again, my kids are not test dummies. They are too young, so who they spend time with matters.
My wife and I have conflicts, as much as we can shepherd them, in front of them, and ask for forgiveness to each other and to them regularly.
We do our best to prioritize the church.
When we travel, our habits at home don’t stay at home. We take them with us.
We wake up before our kids, so I purposefully leave my Bible open. I want them to see what I was prioritizing.
The list goes on, but these are just a few ways to start. What God has taught us has radically transformed our family.
No matter what you do, if you prioritize relationship over career and heritage over hustle, your home will be salt and light; as a result, your kids and you will be salt and light in public spaces.
What does today say about God?
Intentionality.
“The heavens declare the glory of God.” — Psalm 19:1
We rotate at roughly 700+ Mph, rotating perfectly in the universe for seasons and life.
The fundamental physical constants and laws are finely tuned for life. Small changes in these values would make life impossible.
To be intentionally woven into this plan is mind-boggling!
What a King!
What a Father!
What a Creator!
Thank you, Jesus.