For the past couple of months as I was going through the bible, one aspect that has been constantly reminding me is being spiritual as a family.
Many church going Christians are good in bible reading(quote verses), prayers(anytime,anywhere can pray),
have their quite time, good in evangelism. But when it comes to the family life, a lot of Christians have issues in various aspects.
example:
1) Although both Husband and wife are individually good born again Christians, they can have problems in dealing things together as a family ( money aspects,family relationships).
2) Sometimes either parent (husband/wife)/child is a believer and comes to Church , but struggles in bring their family to the church.
I started looking at various families in bible both who are successful and also who failed.
Looked at some successful families and whats their success.
Looked at some families that failed and whats are the main reasons that they failed as family.
I will share the things that I learned.
Owning up the responsibility:
if you are the head of the family, ( you could be father, or if father is not there then mother is the head of the fmaily), then own the responsibility of the family.
Many times we try to throw the blame on wife. See how others wives are behaving. See how others children are behaving. we try to compare. But we fail to own the responsibility of spouse or children.
if our children are not behaving, then we may not realize that they might have learnt these qualities from us, while we argue with our spouse. these are everyday issues. we got these qualities from Adam.
See how Cain responds when God asks where is Cain
Genesis 3:12,13 - Eve blamed it on serpent, Adam blamed it on Eve.
Genesis 4:9 "Am I my brothers keeper"
i know of a brother who is very good in scriptures and preaches, but his wife and kids are not behaving so he keeps blaming his wife for his children.
We see wife and husband blaming on others and Cain learned from it, the son went one step ahead and question God if i am my brothers keeper. we see a total disaster in the first family of mankind.
If Adam or Eve or Cain have confessed their mistake, God would have forgiven them and would have been a different story altogether. If we dont accept our mistakes in leading the family, that reveals our pride and would never see the grace. Because God gives grace to the humble who accepts their mistakes.
2 chronicles 33:10-13 On the other side , we can see Manasseh the king of Judah who was more evil but when God humbled him, he repented and turned to God and we can see how God blessed Manasseh's lineage, his grandson Josiah was one of the best kings of Judah.
Desire for the family to be saved and Work for family to be saved.
Noah, Rahab.
Eli.
Eli was a priest, and he judged people. He even prophesied about Samuel. His sons were acting wickedly, He just told them not to do it.
1 Samuel 3:17 - He is God , let Him do whatever it is.
He could have confessed it before God and repent about it and could have fasted and prayed. but he simply left it and the family vanished.
Donot get too occupied with work or ministry that you dont have time for family.
Rahab:
Joshua 2:12 - longing for family to be saved - father mother,brothers,sisters and their families.
Joshua 6:22 - and they are all saved. its very less time from the day the spies went out and jericho got attacked, but she made sure everybody came into that house. some may not have listened or rebelled, but she worked it out and everybody got saved. you might face challenge from your family, but work it out and get them under the house of salvation.
what adifference between Eli( who knows God) and Rahab( who belives God)
Bonding as a family.
although both everyone in the family might be good christian(husband,wife,kids), many Christians suffer in family lives because they don't have bonding.
David.- individually, David was man after His own heart, great worship,wrote many songs, but as a family, there is no one along with him, only at the end of Davids reign, we saw Solomon taking up the mantle.
Psalm 102:7
Psalm 142:4
Forget about others, but his own blood relationship with him.
Noah. -
Genesis 6:18,19,20
On the other hand we see Noah and his family working together to get saved.
it would be impossible for Noah to do all these things alone. he needs his wife,sons and DIL to work with him. how do they believe their father when the whole world around them did not believe.
they knew their father was a godly man and they knew that He hears from God and directs them.
they might be praying and worshiping as a family.He commands that respect from kids. do your kids know that you are a godly person and you hear from God. do they respect you.
Noah's wife name is not mentioned, but what a woman that she supported her husband in all that he does apart from raising 3 young boys. for all the women on phone line, you can take great inspiration of godly life from Noah's wife.
Teach like Joshua. Declare like Joshua.
whats your desire for your family.
Lot:
Genesis 13:8-11
When Abraham said let us get separated, he looked around and saw the whole plain was well watered.where you can have plenty of crops, no lack of food,shelter. v12 says he went and pitched the tent near Sodom. People around Sodom might have heard about their sins and even Lot might have heard about it, but he went near them in search of prosperity and we know the rest of the story. Lot with good intentions about his family, children went to greener pastures and lost his family. Even when Lot was with Abraham,he had plenty. where do you desire to be, where do you want your kids to be? do you take them close to sin and leave them to be destroyed. or keep them in the company of righteous.
having prosperity is not wrong, but compromising godliness is wrong.
Zebedees sons mother:
Matthew 27:55,556
Matthew 20:20
Although this request looks selfish, but you see the desire and intention of a mother . she is not asking for something earthly. she is longing for something that is heavenly. and you can see how great apostles are John and James. She is one of the woman who closely follwed Jesus to take care of his needs during Crucifixion,and not only that she wants them to be always in the company of Jesus
Lot desiring his family to be soaked in prosperity even when sin is nearby and we see Zabedess sons mother wanting their sons to be in the company of Jesus.
what you desire for your family makes difference
Many of us might be good believers, but God has placed us in our families with purpose. He wants us to serve Him as a family. Our ministry starts with our families.
if you are husband, take responsibility of your household and if things are not going well first confess your part and ask Gods intervention. He gives grace to the humble.
if you are a wife, support your husband , pray for him, if he is looking to ministry works, extend your support. Don't be nagging wives, your nagging will bring down your family.
as a family, pray together, worship the lord together. Long for heavenly things for your family. and if you find your kids are near danger sin zone, bring them out before it gets too late.
As Joshua declared, Let us declare
"But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."
Amen.
Many church going Christians are good in bible reading(quote verses), prayers(anytime,anywhere can pray),
have their quite time, good in evangelism. But when it comes to the family life, a lot of Christians have issues in various aspects.
example:
1) Although both Husband and wife are individually good born again Christians, they can have problems in dealing things together as a family ( money aspects,family relationships).
2) Sometimes either parent (husband/wife)/child is a believer and comes to Church , but struggles in bring their family to the church.
I started looking at various families in bible both who are successful and also who failed.
Looked at some successful families and whats their success.
Looked at some families that failed and whats are the main reasons that they failed as family.
I will share the things that I learned.
Owning up the responsibility:
if you are the head of the family, ( you could be father, or if father is not there then mother is the head of the fmaily), then own the responsibility of the family.
Many times we try to throw the blame on wife. See how others wives are behaving. See how others children are behaving. we try to compare. But we fail to own the responsibility of spouse or children.
if our children are not behaving, then we may not realize that they might have learnt these qualities from us, while we argue with our spouse. these are everyday issues. we got these qualities from Adam.
See how Cain responds when God asks where is Cain
Genesis 3:12,13 - Eve blamed it on serpent, Adam blamed it on Eve.
Genesis 4:9 "Am I my brothers keeper"
i know of a brother who is very good in scriptures and preaches, but his wife and kids are not behaving so he keeps blaming his wife for his children.
We see wife and husband blaming on others and Cain learned from it, the son went one step ahead and question God if i am my brothers keeper. we see a total disaster in the first family of mankind.
If Adam or Eve or Cain have confessed their mistake, God would have forgiven them and would have been a different story altogether. If we dont accept our mistakes in leading the family, that reveals our pride and would never see the grace. Because God gives grace to the humble who accepts their mistakes.
2 chronicles 33:10-13 On the other side , we can see Manasseh the king of Judah who was more evil but when God humbled him, he repented and turned to God and we can see how God blessed Manasseh's lineage, his grandson Josiah was one of the best kings of Judah.
Desire for the family to be saved and Work for family to be saved.
Noah, Rahab.
Eli.
Eli was a priest, and he judged people. He even prophesied about Samuel. His sons were acting wickedly, He just told them not to do it.
1 Samuel 3:17 - He is God , let Him do whatever it is.
He could have confessed it before God and repent about it and could have fasted and prayed. but he simply left it and the family vanished.
Donot get too occupied with work or ministry that you dont have time for family.
Rahab:
Joshua 2:12 - longing for family to be saved - father mother,brothers,sisters and their families.
Joshua 6:22 - and they are all saved. its very less time from the day the spies went out and jericho got attacked, but she made sure everybody came into that house. some may not have listened or rebelled, but she worked it out and everybody got saved. you might face challenge from your family, but work it out and get them under the house of salvation.
what adifference between Eli( who knows God) and Rahab( who belives God)
Bonding as a family.
although both everyone in the family might be good christian(husband,wife,kids), many Christians suffer in family lives because they don't have bonding.
David.- individually, David was man after His own heart, great worship,wrote many songs, but as a family, there is no one along with him, only at the end of Davids reign, we saw Solomon taking up the mantle.
Psalm 102:7
Psalm 142:4
Forget about others, but his own blood relationship with him.
Noah. -
Genesis 6:18,19,20
On the other hand we see Noah and his family working together to get saved.
it would be impossible for Noah to do all these things alone. he needs his wife,sons and DIL to work with him. how do they believe their father when the whole world around them did not believe.
they knew their father was a godly man and they knew that He hears from God and directs them.
they might be praying and worshiping as a family.He commands that respect from kids. do your kids know that you are a godly person and you hear from God. do they respect you.
Noah's wife name is not mentioned, but what a woman that she supported her husband in all that he does apart from raising 3 young boys. for all the women on phone line, you can take great inspiration of godly life from Noah's wife.
Teach like Joshua. Declare like Joshua.
whats your desire for your family.
Lot:
Genesis 13:8-11
When Abraham said let us get separated, he looked around and saw the whole plain was well watered.where you can have plenty of crops, no lack of food,shelter. v12 says he went and pitched the tent near Sodom. People around Sodom might have heard about their sins and even Lot might have heard about it, but he went near them in search of prosperity and we know the rest of the story. Lot with good intentions about his family, children went to greener pastures and lost his family. Even when Lot was with Abraham,he had plenty. where do you desire to be, where do you want your kids to be? do you take them close to sin and leave them to be destroyed. or keep them in the company of righteous.
having prosperity is not wrong, but compromising godliness is wrong.
Zebedees sons mother:
Matthew 27:55,556
Matthew 20:20
Although this request looks selfish, but you see the desire and intention of a mother . she is not asking for something earthly. she is longing for something that is heavenly. and you can see how great apostles are John and James. She is one of the woman who closely follwed Jesus to take care of his needs during Crucifixion,and not only that she wants them to be always in the company of Jesus
Lot desiring his family to be soaked in prosperity even when sin is nearby and we see Zabedess sons mother wanting their sons to be in the company of Jesus.
what you desire for your family makes difference
Many of us might be good believers, but God has placed us in our families with purpose. He wants us to serve Him as a family. Our ministry starts with our families.
if you are husband, take responsibility of your household and if things are not going well first confess your part and ask Gods intervention. He gives grace to the humble.
if you are a wife, support your husband , pray for him, if he is looking to ministry works, extend your support. Don't be nagging wives, your nagging will bring down your family.
as a family, pray together, worship the lord together. Long for heavenly things for your family. and if you find your kids are near danger sin zone, bring them out before it gets too late.
As Joshua declared, Let us declare
"But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."
Amen.
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