Our families are the cornerstone of all our other relationships - at church, school, and work. Our families have the power to make us confident and strong in our faith, or they have the power to make us feel fear, doubt and failure.
Satan knows that the family is important to God. God has set up an order for the family, and Satan does all he can to disrupt this order. Satan wants to see our families fall apart. He wants to see us struggle, fight and disagree.
While God celebrates at marriage, Satan celebrates at divorce. God celebrates at the birth of a baby; Satan celebrates at an abortion. God celebrates when families pray together; Satan celebrates when families curse at one another.
Satan is the enemy of strong, happy families. Look at how he works in the world. You've probably heard, "Happy families don't sell" when reality TV families fall apart. It's sad and true. We, as a nation, don't embrace the true meaning of family. We want to see the drama and tension and fights. How sad that some families are willing to sacrifice their relationships with each other for fame, greed or pride.
Pride is a big problem in the family, especially for women in today's society. We're told by people in magazines and on TV that we need to be "Super Woman." Career, fame, recognition, money, family...we can have it all!
That may be true by society's standards, but when you look at God's standards, where is a woman's place in the family?
We can have careers, but our families should come first. Money is nice, but it's not a substitute for spending time with your children. Recognition and fame are slippery slopes, and it's hard to keep a godly perspective on your life when you're living in that.
Does that mean that we're limited to the kitchen? Absolutely not. God has given us gifts and talents and He expects us to use them for His glory. Women can be doctors, lawyers, writers, teachers, dancers, actresses, singers...
But no matter what we are in the corporate world, when we come home, we are expected to submit ourselves to our husbands. We should be chaste, modest, and trustworthy. We should help provide for the needs of our families and other's families. We are not to be lazy or idle. We should work with our hands and be good stewards of our family's resources. We should speak with kindness and speak of the things of the Lord. (Proverbs 31:10-31)
While the man is the head of the household, we serve as the backbone of the family. It's a huge responsibility. We shouldn't feel burdened by this, because it's a gift from God. He gave us, the weaker sex, the ability to bring forth life. He gave us the gifts and talents we would need to fill the role that He designed for us.
Satan loves to see us struggle to break out of God's design for our families. He likes to see us fight amongst ourselves about who is in charge. He likes to see husbands and wives that can't agree, children that are disrespectful, and families that never slow down enough to really know each other.
Here are few things to remember about God's design for the family...
1. The Parents' Obligation to the Family
- Christ must be the cornerston of the family (Ephesians 5:22, 25)
- Our devotion to God should leave no question to our devotion to our spouse and family.
- Loving God means loving people.
- Communication is crutial (1 Peter 3:5-7 and 1 Corinthians 7:1-5)
- Our committments must be kept (Genesis 2:24)
- Other than your committment to God, your committment to your spouse is the most important (Mark 10:9)
- We need to be committed to our family's spiritual well-being (Joshua 24:15)
2. The Children's Role in the Family
- Children should honor and obey their parents (Exodus 20:12)
- Children should fear the Lord (Proverbs 1:7-9 - "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge...")
- We must educate our children in the things of the Lord (Deuteronomy 6:5-8)
- We should teach by example, showing our children how to be dedicated to God, His Word, His Church, and His People (Proverbs 6:6-8)
3. The Church's Obligation to the Family
- Our obligation, as a church, is not to the building we worship in, but to the people we worship with.
- We as a church, are a family, held together by the love of Christ.
- We should provide families with positive communication (Philippians 4:8)
- We should provide families with help in physical, financial, and SPIRITUAL matters
- We should pray for families in our church and community (James 5:14-16)
- We should desire to see families be saved and become part of our church family
"...Choose you this day whom ye will serve...but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15
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