Lead Your Family Like Jesus – {Review}

Thank you Tricia Goyer for allowing me to be a part of your launch team and allowing me the chance to read your new book.

Have you ever wondered if you were raising your children in a way that they will learn to follow Jesus?  Does it sometimes seem a daunting task to show the proper example in everything you do?  So many times, we are led to believe that parenting is hard and that it has to be done a certain way.  Society has shown us that we have to be perfect parents, but there IS a better way.  The Lead Your Family Like Jesus book was written to help us see that there is a better way to parent by leading by Jesus’ example.

When this book first asks what “leading with a servant heart looks like in a family”, it is suggested that the following examples are of leading with a servant heart:  “A mother caring for a child during the day” or “a father listening to his children’s nighttime prayers”.  There were other examples given, but something so simple as taking the time to listen to your children can show leadership like Jesus.

I love that the authors of this book used personal language and personal examples to give this book a special touch.  This authors of this book don’t “preach” at the reader.  The authors examples and personal stories to help show that we all have short comings that we have to overcome in order to lead like Jesus.

One story that really hit home to me was a story that Tricia Goyer told.  A story in which her husband suggested that they invite a certain couple over.  Tricia had met Tara before, but she felt that she couldn’t measure up to Tara because Tara had so much going for her.  She was talented and her son was a great student and athlete.  When Tricia finally did invite them over, she found out that Tara was afraid that she wouldn’t measure up to Tricia.  I find that this is so true in everyday life.  As parents, we compare ourselves, our children, and our “things” to what others have accomplished.  It really shouldn’t need to be that way, but our society has put such an emphasis on gaining personal items here on Earth.  Society tells us that our children should be the smartest and strongest.  The most talented.  They should go to just the “right” schools and participate in the “right” programs to succeed in life.  But is that what we should be looking for when leading our family?

The Lead Your Family Like Jesus book shows us that when we get trapped in the situation above, we have an EGO (“Edging God Out”) problem.  What we should do is to change our EGO problem by laying our problems at the altar and having a new EGO (“Exalt God Only”).

Tricia Goyer was asked the following question:  “What about older kids? Is it too late?”  And here is her response.

“As long as you are alive you will always be a parent. I’ve learned this for my 83-year-old Grandmother who is still doling out a lot of advice and prayers to her daughters who are in their 50s and 60s! With every stage—elementary, teen, and adult—there will be new challenges, but the number one thing a child wants to know is that he or she has a parent who loves, believes, and will be there for him or her. Isn’t that what we all want? We may not always have the right answers, but we can lead our children to our God who has the right answers. We can lead them to hope. We can lead them to faith. And even if they refuse to follow our leadership, you can guarantee they will always be watching to see how we do it, even when they don’t want to admit it.”

This book is full of wisdom from the Bible and personal experiences.  I have only given you a little from the first section, and I truly hope that you will consider purchasing a copy for yourself, children, and grandchildren.  Really, anyone who could use some good Biblical commonsense leadership advice for leading his family like Jesus led.  The Lead Your Family Like Jesus book can be ordered online at the Lead Your Family Like Jesus website, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and others.

• Authors:  Ken Blanchard, Phil Hodges, and Tricia Boyer.
• Hardcover
• 208 pages
• Retail:  $19.99

Disclosure:  I received a copy of the Lead Your Family Like Jesus book for the purpose of this review.  I received no other compensation, nor was I required to give a positive review.  All opinions are 100% mine.