The Daily CHEW™
Chew on God’s Love. Live Transformed. Multiply Hope.
Ten years ago when my twins were ten and my daughter was seven, I tried to lead what I thought was a “simple” family devotion—organized agenda, clear structure, and I tried to be passionate throughout the whole devotional. Within five minutes, my wife was giving me that warm “bless your heart” look that says “you’re doing it again,” and my kids had already started fidgeting and finding creative ways to avoid eye contact. As the only Judger in a house full of Perceivers—and as a driven, first-born Dominican who’s used to leading with structure and intensity—I’ve mastered strategic planning and organizational systems, but when it comes to creating spiritual rhythms that actually engage my family, I feel like I’m trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.
Maybe you know this tension too. You’ve built successful systems at work, you understand how to motivate teams and drive results, but when you try to lead spiritual growth at home, your family seems to disengage or resist. Perhaps your attempts at family devotions feel too rigid for your family’s natural rhythm, your spouse gives you gentle signals that you’re over-managing the moment, or your kids treat spiritual time like another meeting they’d rather skip. You long for your home to be a place where God’s love shapes everyday moments, but you’re discovering that the leadership style that works in boardrooms doesn’t necessarily translate to living rooms.
Gospel-Oriented Insight
Here’s what I’ve learned through years of working with high-performing families and wrestling with this in my own home: that gap between your professional competence and your family’s spiritual engagement points to something deeper than finding the right devotional format or learning to be more flexible. The same drive for excellence that serves you well in business can actually become a subtle idol when it comes to spiritual leadership at home—we start measuring success by participation, engagement, or smooth execution rather than resting in God’s grace.
God’s steadfast love in Christ doesn’t depend on your ability to create the perfect family spiritual environment or on your family’s enthusiastic response. Unlike business metrics that fluctuate based on performance, His love remains constant whether your devotions go according to plan or completely fall apart. This love—demonstrated at the cross, poured out by the Spirit—creates the secure foundation that transforms homes not through better methodology but through parents who are first anchored in Gospel grace themselves.
CHEW Reset Invitation
What if there was a way to approach family spiritual leadership that honors both your heart for intentionality and your family’s need for freedom—not through another structured program, but through a simple 3-5 minute rhythm that actually connects hearts to God’s love? Join me in discovering how the CHEW process can transform your family culture from the inside out, starting with your own heart returning to what matters most.
Clear CHEW Template (with Thanksgiving & Worship)
CHEW as a Family in 3-5 Minutes:
- Take three deep breaths together—remembering God’s love surrounds your family right now, before anyone performs perfectly or follows any agenda.
- Adore: “Father, You love our family completely—our different personalities don’t complicate Your love, our past devotional disasters don’t diminish it.”
- Confess: Invite honest sharing: “What’s really going on in our hearts this week? What are we celebrating? What feels hard?”
Leader tip: Model vulnerability first. Your transparency about your own struggles (including over-managing family spiritual time) gives permission for theirs. - Hear: “What truth about God’s love do we most need right now?” Try these sample passages (or browse these targeted categories to find the biblical truth your family most needs right now.):
- Romans 8:38-39 (Nothing separates us from His love—including imperfect devotions)
- Psalm 103:13-14 (He knows how we’re made and loves us tenderly)
- 1 John 4:19 (We love because He first loved us—not because we get family devotions right)
- Exchange: Ask together: “If I really believed God’s love is [patient/accepting/delighted], how would that change [my anxiety about spiritual leadership/fear of getting it wrong/pressure on my family]?”
Example: “If I really believed God’s love delights in our family just as we are, how would that change my worry about whether we’re ‘doing devotions right’?” - Walk: “What’s one way we’ll live from His love this week?” Choose something specific but pressure-free—a prayer, an apology, a new habit, or simply remembering this truth when family spiritual time feels forced.
- Thanksgiving & Worship:
- Thank God specifically for His unchanging love for your family—including His patience with your learning curve as a spiritual leader
- End by refocusing your heart on God’s character and delight in your family, not on your performance or their participation
Normalize the Process
Remember, Gospel transformation in families isn’t measured by perfectly executed devotions or enthusiastic participation from everyone. God delights in your heart’s desire to lead your family spiritually, even when—especially when—your best efforts fall flat. Every time you return to His grace instead of doubling down on your methodology, you’re modeling the very Gospel you want your family to experience. Your honest struggles with spiritual leadership become opportunities for your family to see grace in action.
CHEW On This™:
Where do you feel the most tension between your natural leadership instincts and your family’s spiritual needs? What might shift if you approached that area knowing that God’s delight in your family—and in your heart to lead them—is already complete and secure, not dependent on finding the perfect balance between structure and spontaneity?
Community Call
Try this CHEW rhythm with your family this week, letting it breathe and flow naturally rather than managing it toward a predetermined outcome. Notice how different it feels to ground your family time in God’s steadfast love rather than in your ability to create the right spiritual environment.
Ready to experience this kind of transformation daily? Subscribe to The Daily CHEW™ and discover how God’s love moves from your head to your heart to your home—creating the authentic family culture you’ve been longing for, without the pressure to perform.
Chew on God’s Love. Live Transformed. Multiply Hope.
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