Living the Life Your Family Needs Today: Live the Amen

Men, if your faith only shows up on Sundays, your family is starving the rest of the week.

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God’s Promise for Today

Galatians 2:20 – “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (ESV)

There comes a moment when you realize your faith isn’t supposed to be just yours anymore. It’s not about being known as a “Christian man.” It’s about your wife and your kids seeing Christ alive in you—right now. They’re not looking for a religious checklist. They’re looking for a man who lives what he says he believes, a man whose actions say “Amen” long before his mouth does.

I’ve had to wrestle with this myself. I’m not writing this because I’ve figured it all out—I’m writing this because I’m right in the middle of it. And I’ve learned something that I can’t ignore anymore: my family doesn’t need a man who tries harder—they need a man who surrenders faster. A man who starts the day with the intention of handing his will over to God, and who ends the day with the Amen that says, “Lord, I was yours today.”

This isn’t just theory. I’ve seen it unfold in my life, slowly at first—like the Holy Spirit working behind the scenes, patient and steady—and then in moments that come like a jolt. I can’t even tell you the exact day it started, but I can tell you that I’ve grown more aware of something powerful: living the Amen isn’t a religious act. It’s war. It’s leadership. It’s legacy.

Look—your kids are watching you. Your wife feels your spiritual temperature whether you say a word or not. And if you’re not leading with the life of Christ in you, then something else is leading your home. Passivity? Distraction? Comfort? Don’t fool yourself—something is discipling your family. If it’s not you as a man of God, then it’s probably the world.

We don’t need to wait for a better season or more spiritual motivation. What we need is death—a death to the false belief that we have a “right to ourselves.” That line from Oswald Chambers cut deep when I read it: “Sign the death warrant of your sinful disposition.” That’s not gentle Sunday school talk. That’s battle language. And it’s exactly what we need.

When you said “yes” to Jesus, you took on a cross, not a cushion. You signed up for crucifixion. Not to get beat down, but to be raised up into a new man. That new man doesn’t lead his home with pride, or fear, or laziness. He leads with faith—not his faith, but the faith of Christ working through him.

That’s what Galatians 2:20 is all about. And brother, that’s the only way I’ve found strength when I’ve had nothing left. It’s the only way I’ve made it through moments when I felt like a failure. When I felt like my kids needed more than I had to give. When I couldn’t fix the mood in the house. When I didn’t know how to love my wife the way she deserved.

I had to stop living by my own will. My own strength. My own faith. And I had to start living with His will. His strength. His faith in me. That’s the Amen I’m learning to live out.

There’s a lyric from the song “Lifesong” by Casting Crowns that gets me every time:

“I want to sign Your name to the end of this day, knowing that my heart was true.”

That’s the heart of it. Not perfection. Not performance. Just surrender. That’s where we start and end every day. God, sign Your name at the end of this day. That’s my Amen.

I’ve started to see each morning as a chance to draft a new contract—not one based on results or productivity, but a contract of surrender. One between me, myself, and God. He’s the benefactor. I give Him my heart, my body, my will. And I ask Him to live through me so that when my head hits the pillow, I can say: “Amen. Today was Yours.”

And here’s the part that gets me fired up. That Amen isn’t just for me. I want my wife to feel it. I want my kids to see it. I want the people I serve and lead to walk away knowing something real lives in me. That my strength isn’t mine. That my peace didn’t come from comfort. That I’m not building my own name—I’m carrying His.

When we take on the role of husband, father, leader—we’ve got to realize we’re not just leading our homes—we’re shepherding souls. And you cannot do that on your own. If you try to carry it all in your own strength, you will break. You weren’t made to be the Savior. You were made to reflect the Savior.

So don’t lead out of your own reserves. Don’t lead on fumes. Don’t lead halfway. Die to self. Wake up, ask God for His will to be done in you, and then walk it out. Not because you feel strong. But because Christ is alive in you.

And don’t wait for perfect circumstances to start. Don’t wait for everything to line up. If you keep waiting for the right moment, you’ll miss your whole life. Today is the day to live the Amen.

And yes—it’ll cost you. It’ll cost your pride. Your comfort. Your false sense of control. But it will be worth it. Because when you live that kind of life, the kind of life your family can follow, you’ll be able to stand at the end of the day, hands tired, knees sore, heart stretched—and still say Amen.

So here’s the deal:
Start tomorrow morning like it’s your contract with God. Sign your heart over to Him before you check your phone. Before the chaos starts. And then walk it out. Live it out. Lead it out. And when your head hits the pillow, let that final breath of the day be your Amen—your offering, your peace, your Shalom.

Let it echo in your home. Let it shape your family. Let it remind the world that there are still men who belong to Jesus—and lead like it.

Today’s “Shepherding in Action” Value

Intentional Surrender — Living by Christ’s faith in you, not your own strength, is the only way to lead your family with lasting impact.

Three Practical Reflection Questions

1. In what areas of your daily life are you still living by your own will instead of surrendering to Christ? (Galatians 2:20)
2. What would it look like for you to start each day with a personal “Amen” contract—handing your whole self over to God? (Romans 12:1-2)
3. How can your wife and kids see Jesus more clearly in your actions this week than in your words? (Matthew 5:16)

Bible References (ESV)

• Galatians 2:20 – “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
• Romans 12:1 – “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”
• Romans 12:2 – “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
• Matthew 5:16 – “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Short Prayer

Lord, help me to sign Your name to the end of every day. Let Your will lead me, Your faith fill me, and Your presence shape the home I’ve been called to shepherd.
Amen!

My Personal Journey & Engagement Call

These weekday reflections flow from my time in God’s Word. I invite you to join me and other Men of the Shepherd in building Christ-centered homes—leading, discipling, and serving like Jesus.

If these reflections encourage you, please like, share, and pass them on so more men can grow in their calling.

To follow along with the weekday readings, check out our Weekday Reflections Playlist on YouTube or subscribe to the YouTube channel here.

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