Better Than Blended DevotionalSample

Figuring Out Our Roles

While every parent wears a lot of hats, becoming a blended family requires us to fill a few more roles than those required of traditional parents. Sometimes we feel pulled in various directions, and some roles can vie for dominance over others. When we identify our different roles within the family and order them correctly, it will help our marriages and families to flourish. Something often forgotten in a blended family is that the most important role in the home that we are to fulfill is the role of a spouse.

No matter how long we were a single parent, our children must learn that they are no longer first. But most importantly, WE must understand that our children are no longer first. At the point of marriage, we became one with our spouses, and that oneness should not be infiltrated. Making our role as spouse our primary role is something that we must constantly be working on as the demands of children and life pressure us to make our marriage secondary.

We must also understand the roles we have in the lives of our children and stepchildren. It can be a heavyweight when we try to be to our stepchildren what they don’t need us to be in their lives. Sometimes we feel pressure from our spouse or from others to be what they believe is missing in a child’s life.

The Scripture tells us, “The head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God” (1 Corinthians 11:3). This tells us that the head of the home is Christ and that everything else should follow suit. This means that the role we play in the lives of our stepchildren—and our biological children as well—is simply to BE a godly example in the home and allow Christ’s love, forgiveness, and grace to constantly be shown through us.

Think about it!

How would you define your role in the home? How do you think your stepchildren and/or biological children feel about being part of a blended family?