I recently listened to a conversation between Ryan and Ian MacGregor on the Fierce Men podcast that changed how I think about family. Ian is a 20-year Army infantry officer and father of eight. His family has been Christian for generations, going back to Scotland. But what he shared isn’t just for people with that kind of heritage—it’s for anyone willing to think differently about what a household can be.

You can watch the full conversation here: Fierce Men Podcast - Ian MacGregor

What Is Covenantal Household Living?

The idea is simple: God’s promises don’t just apply to you as an individual. They extend to your children and their children after them.

The Bible speaks of God keeping covenant “to a thousand generations” (Deuteronomy 7:9) and promises being “for you and your children” (Acts 2:39). Covenantal thinking takes these passages at face value and asks: what if we actually lived like they were true?

The 500-Year Plan

Ian picked this up from a young reformed church in Kansas. The pastor had said, “We’re just starting out, but we have a 500-year plan.”

He doesn’t mean a literal spreadsheet mapping out centuries. It’s more of a posture—seeing yourself as one node in a generational tree rather than the main character of the story.

Here’s how Ian put it:

“My mind is always framed by the reality that I should expect generations to continue to come from my line. And that I have a role in their formation, in giving them a name, giving them a heritage, and then also a culture of tools and mindsets that they can take with them.”

If you’re a first-generation Christian, this is actually encouraging. You may not have faith behind you, but you can have it ahead of you.

The Mundane Is the Mission

This phrase stuck with me: “The mundane is the mission.”

Lasting family culture doesn’t come from grand gestures. It comes from:

• Praying together at meals
• Putting away phones during dinner
• Talking about God naturally throughout the day
• Being intentional about what media fills your home

Ian compared it to gardening. A gardener doesn’t force plants to grow—he creates conditions where growth can happen. That’s the work of a household head: shaping the environment so each person can flourish.

Mission Statements and Mottos

The McGregor family has an actual mission statement:

“The McGregor family obeys the creation mandate and great commission by sharing the Father’s love through productive relationships, by practicing Christ-like discipline, healthy living, by creating a nurturing environment with spirit-provided gifts and talents, and by pursuing energizing experiences in order to glorify the triune God and enjoy him forever.”

And a motto: “Pliable hearts, sharp minds, calloused hands for Christ.”

This might sound overly formal. But it has a practical purpose. When decisions come up—whether to take on a new activity, how to spend time, which church to attend—the family has a shared framework. Kids learn to think covenantally because they’re part of the conversation.

The Leader Acts First

Ian kept returning to this point: the leader acts first. You don’t wait for your spouse or children to initiate spiritual things. You lead by doing.

If your family doesn’t pray together, start praying. If you don’t share meals, start there. If the house is full of noise that isn’t edifying, change what’s playing.

This isn’t about being authoritarian. It’s about taking responsibility. Ian made a distinction I found helpful: your spouse’s failures may not be your fault, but as head of household, you’re still responsible. That responsibility means you move first.

Legacy Beyond Money

When people hear “legacy,” they usually think of inheritance—bank accounts, property. But Ian pointed out that the great American dynasties—the Carnegies, Vanderbilts, Rockefellers—saw their wealth diluted or squandered within a few generations.

The Psalms say children are the inheritance. They’re the arrows a warrior sends into the future. Money can be lost. A name, a reputation, a culture of faithfulness—these can compound across generations if you tend them well.

Starting Where You Are

You don’t need Scottish ancestry or a military background to think this way. It really comes down to:

1. Take God’s generational promises seriously—believe they apply to your household
2. Think beyond your lifespan—what kind of great-grandchildren do you want to have?
3. Build daily rhythms—family worship, shared meals, intentional conversation
4. Create shared language—”We are a Christian household. This is what we do.”
5. Act first—don’t wait for perfect conditions or buy-in

As Ian put it, this is really just “the logic of Scripture”—seeing your piece of time as part of something much bigger than yourself.