How to guide?

[Trout]

I have recently been saved. I have a wife and four small children. My wife seems pretty acceptable of my new faith albeit a bit 'wierded out'. Only because she knew the man that was not saved for so long. I was never a bad person, well yes I did many things in my life that were not so good, but I never killed, raped, hurt or harmed other people in anyway. I just lived a wild life. Drinking and drugs etc. Actually, I have been clean and sober for quite a few years now. But many of my wild ways never went away.


I am a truck driver. I was saved on the road about two thousand miles away from home. I came home after three weeks out and all of a sudden, I was a saved man trying to describe to my wife the great thing that had happened to me. She is really trying to come around, but I am afraid that she sometimes gets irritated with me when I talk so much about it. I dont preach, I simple get excited whenever Christ is brought up or something happens that I just know the Lord had something to do with.

My children are absolutely ecstatic about Jesus! They have taken to prayer well and do it every night when I am away. My wife is starting to take part. I have talked to God many times about this and I believe he is helping me. I am not able though to convince my wife to go to church with the children. I am still talking to God about this and waiting for his answers.

My children have so many questions about Jesus. I have bought them a childrens bible that they are able to read and view pictures, and I try to explain to them what little I do know. I am teaching them to love God, but I also want them to know that you have to fear God as well. That is a very hard concept to explain to an eight year old.

Anyway, I am hoping that some here have the same or similar situations to discuss this with me.
I will keep in touch. I am still trying to find a good church for myself when I am home. I visit the chappels on the road as much as I can. I really do have mainly a personal relationship with Christ. I just recieved a bible and some lessons on tape. I have a lot of work to do in this, but I am excited about it. My greatest concern right now is for my wife and children. God bless them.

 

[nindoja]

Hello. I am currently in the same situation... My whole family goes to church, but my dad is absent week after week. I wish there was a way to get him to go to church.

 

[endure]

wow... i regret to say that is something that i do not know much about.

the only thing that just came to mind is this one scripture.
ephesians 5.25
"husbands love your wives, even as Christ loved the church."

begin to love her and wait on her and serve her and give her more than you ever have before, ponder and think of ideas on what to do to thrill her and make her feel so secure and loved.
that is the husband God has called you to be.

and i beleive a key to winning people to Christ is kinda displayed in that verse, how did Christ go about saving the church? he loved it and constantly cared for it and died for it.
but just begin to read the way Christ acted around HIS people, the way he continually fed them, cared for them, had compassion on them.
i believe imitating him like that can be a great key in winning people to Christ like he won the people.
just dont get it confused with how he acted to his enemies.

i remember a man named Luis Greenup. he told of how God led him to treat his wife a certain way.
she was going to take a shower so he ran inside and got it running for her and all, she walked into the bathroom to find the tooth paste already on the brush, she stepped in the warm and ready shower and when she was done he met her with a warm towel that he had just put in the drier for a few mins and when she felt him wrap it around her she was amased.
and when she came to the bed, she asked "what was that?"
he said "first class service!"
he had gotten the idea when he was riding first class on a flight and seeing how they treated him with such beauty. and God told him to give his wife "first class service".
and husbands would be amased what wives will give them in return for this kind of service.
needless to say, luis received first class service that night also.

p.s.
(please, no one take that to mean anything that it doesnt. and i know this was not a post about sex, but i pray you did get what i was saying).

 

[wvmtnkid]

First of all I want to welcome you into the family of God! and What a wonderful salvation story, trout!

I guess my thoughts are if she knew the "old trout" for such a long time, it's going to take some time for her to get to know the "new trout", if that makes sense. She wasn't there with you to witness your giving of your old life for your new one, or perhaps the emotions that lead to your decision to accept Jesus. Give her time to experience this wonderful change in you. Once she sees that this is real and it isn't just a fly by night thing, my guess is she will start coming around. This may be a totally foreign experience for her. She may be harder to win over. Endure gives some good advice he his post. Treat her and your children as Christ treated the church. Most of all, continue praying and have patience! It sounds like she is trying. Maybe once you find a church, she will attend with you and that will help her learn about Jesus and help her in her decision as well.

 

[Matou]

That was good advice. I would also suggest talking to a minister. Finding a church is very important and is something you need not be nervous about. This will help you handle this situation. I have found that talking with members of my church or my pastor helps me a lot when dealing with situation like this- I have gone through this same type of situation.

 

[onajourney87]

First, welcome to the family.

How to guide... I'm assuming guiding as a husband. I highly recommend this sermon by John MacArthur titled, The Role of the Husband:
http://www.biblebb.com/files/MAC/HUSBAND.HTM

MacArthur also has an excellent sermon titled, A Crash Course in Christian Parenting:
http://www.biblebb.com/files/MAC/PARENTS.HTM

I am teaching them to love God, but I also want them to know that you have to fear God as well. That is a very hard concept to explain to an eight year old.

Hmm... perhaps draw a parallel between how children have a healthy fear of their father? That's how my parents explained it to me when I was young.

osm