The concept of “Family” started in the Garden of Eden. God created Eve for Adam and the excited man exclaimed, “This is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.” We cannot get any more related than that (Genesis 2:23-24). God created one man to be married to one woman for a lifetime. In spite of the way the world treats marriage today, the Word of God repeatedly blesses the union of the family (Psalms 128:3; Acts 10:2; Acts 16:31-34). This is the most complex unit in our society, however, and it often causes us the most hardship, because we are so interdependent on one another.
God expects parents to walk
in His ways and to teach them to their children (Deuteronomy 4:9-10; Esther
1:22). God had total confidence in
Abraham to command his children and his household to follow the Lord, to keep
His ways and to live by Godly precepts (Genesis 18:19). Jacob followed in his grandfather’s footsteps and
made sure his family also followed the ways of the Lord (Genesis
35:2). Joseph cherished his family so
much, that even when they sold him into slavery, he did not take revenge on
them. He provided for them during times of famine and forgave them for their
treachery towards him (Genesis 50:17-21). Joshua boldly proclaimed his as well as his family’s allegiance to God (Joshua
24:15).
God created the woman to
bless the man (1 Corinthians 11:7-9).
Once the first couple sinned by rebelling against God, Our Father put it into
the heart of the woman to desire her husband and to obey his rule over her (Genesis
3:16). A wife is advised to look well to
the ways of her household, not to live in a lazy manner and to live faithfully
with her own husband (Proverbs 31:27; 1 Corinthians 7:10; Ephesians
5:22-24; Colossians 3:18; 1 Peter 3:1). God
even gives us Sarah as an example and exhorts us to reverence and respect our
husband (1 Peter 3:6).
God exhorts husbands to live faithfully with their wife, not to get drunk or to be greedy for ill-gotten gains, not to be a fighter or covetous, to rule their household well, to help their children to walk in an orderly fashion, and to be hospitable and apt to teach (1 Timothy 3:2-5, 12). God even commends grandparents who impart His Word to their grandchildren (2 Timothy 1:5). We all have a place to serve in God’s family both at home and at church.
God exhorts husbands to live faithfully with their wife, not to get drunk or to be greedy for ill-gotten gains, not to be a fighter or covetous, to rule their household well, to help their children to walk in an orderly fashion, and to be hospitable and apt to teach (1 Timothy 3:2-5, 12). God even commends grandparents who impart His Word to their grandchildren (2 Timothy 1:5). We all have a place to serve in God’s family both at home and at church.
Family dynamics is one of
the most tenuous life systems on earth. Every family experiences trials and
conflict. God gives us clues in His Word on dealing with trouble. His primary
focus during a disagreement is reconciliation (Matthew 5:24). Unresolved conflicts often destroy our association
with others. Jesus died to redeem mankind to God; and God filters this
reconciliation down into all of our relationships (Matthew
4:24).
The first step in
relationships is not to judge the other person’s motives, meaning or reasoning
for their words or actions (Matthew 7:1).
If they say or do something that is offensive, ask them to clarify their reason
for their words or actions. Often, our interpretation of the incident is based
upon our insecurities and injuries from the past, rather on their motives or
intentions (Matthew 7:5). We
over-react because their behavior triggered an old wound in us. We see every
incident from our own perspective.
God encourages us to take
the other person’s perspective into account as well as our own (1 Tim
4:1-2); otherwise, discussions can
escalate into an all out war. Through discussing all the options, no one party
“wins” all the time (Proverbs 10:23). Often, neither side gets their way, and both parties choose a third
selection as the best course of action (Proverbs 14:15). God gives His wisdom and grace in every situation, if
the couple, parent or child is wise enough to seek His counsel (Psalm
2:10-11, 111:10).
Prayer:
Father God, thank You for
creating us to live in families. Help us to appreciate the good aspects in the
family You birthed us into, rather than allowing our focus to remain on the
negative features. Give us wisdom as we choose our mate, and lead us by Your
Spirit to the person best suited for us, someone that we can bless and who will
bless us in return. You are able to protect everything that we entrust to You;
therefore, we put all of our relationships into Your capable hands (2 Timothy
1:12). It is so good for us all to dwell
together in unity (Psalm 133:1).
Thought for the Day:
“If possible, so far as it
depends on you, be at peace with all men.” - Romans 12:18
