Your believable beliefs are the bedrock of your family’s future.

Beliefs built on sand will crash. Bedrock beliefs, though, don’t break; they stand tall and see beyond, even if you feel abandoned and all alone on a ledge. They’re stood upon with conviction because they’re built on the Rock (Matt. 7:24-27). That’s what I saw seven months after my daughter chose her own Secret Sauce of 26 A-to-Z character qualities: Authentic, Bold, and Confident, all the way to Xany, Yoked, and Zealous.

For it was seven months later that she gave birth to our first grandchild, Cade Bolder Medlin. And then it hit me. Her “B” character quality was Bold! I still get chills thinking how our little Cade the Bold, as we call him, is living proof of how your family’s character can come alive when it becomes their foundation. And no one can lay a foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ (I Cor. 3:11) – the one foundation that doesn’t crack or break.

Beliefs is my “B” Secret Sauce character quality because that’s what I’ll die for and what I live for. What’s yours B character quality? Beacon, Believable, Belong, Beloved, Best-practices, Biblical, Big-hearted, Blessing, Bold, Bonding, Boundless, Brave, Bright? Or something else?

Beliefs:  The foundation of character

In addition to authenticity (the reality of character), families need to build a home with a bedrock of beliefs – the foundation of character. Beliefs aren’t just your values; they’re why you value them. They’re your unmovable principles. Your convictions. Your paradigm.

God-honoring Beliefs enable everything else needed for a godly legacy. They produce faith, which produces hope, which produces a bold confidence in God’s sovereignty and a certainty of what we can’t see (Heb. 11:1). More importantly, these Beliefs enable us to please God (Heb. 11:6).

Regular ol’ beliefs ebb and flow like the tides, but God-honoring Beliefs are an unending waterfall of God’s promises. They aren’t just a collection of standards; they’re a standard you won’t compromise and a funnel to filter out life’s impurities. They can’t be bought, sold, or inherited, but they’re freely received and freely passed along.

Our family doesn’t claim to have all the right beliefs, but we strive to consistently live the critical few beliefs that truly matter. And we trust that as we seek God’s knowledge and wisdom, His Spirit acts like guardrails to keep us out of spiritual ditches.

What shed a whole new light on beliefs for me was becoming a parent. Now I can see how kids must wrestle with my godly beliefs in order to readily embrace their own. Day by intentional day, memory by intentional memory, they need to see how beliefs are owned, not borrowed . . . held high before they can be passed down . . . lived within you, so that they can be lived out for others.

Building on a foundation of family beliefs

Three of the greatest days with each of my kids are when they did three things: 1) accepted Jesus as their Savior, 2) got baptized, and 3) told me about when my faith became deeply theirs. They drew from a faith heritage started generations earlier, but they all had to choose whether or not they’d build on that heritage . . . if their faith was based on principles or popularity.

Principles aren’t always popular, but they forge legacies. Without principles, beliefs slip into preferences. And preferences don’t compel. At best, preferences comply. And compliance alone leads to lethargy, not legacies. Instead of being a Just-do-what-I-say parent, become a Just-follow-me parent whose beliefs and actions align and engage your kids with God’s word.

What beliefs are building your foundation? Are they believable? Do they extend, or do they extinguish, your desired legacy? Do they enliven, or do they endanger, your kids’ passions? James 2:17 tells us that faith without works is dead. Is your real faith based on real beliefs, and is there real evidence?

Unlike our little Cade the Bold, your kids’ B character qualities may not call you Grandpa. But are they fueling and securing principles upon which to build godly homes?

What’s your “B” character quality?

Have you started creating your own Secret Sauce of family character? I hope these 26 A-to-Z blogs help you choose, share, and live them with your kids. Click here for a Free Printable Workbook with instructions on how to choose your own family’s Secret Sauce. You’ll find 300 sample A-to-Z character qualities on page 16.

Questions: What believable beliefs shape the foundation of your character? What “B” word best describes the character you want for your family, and why?