FAMILY

God sets the solitary in families…– Psalm 68:6a

The FAMILY is dear to God’s Heart because He is the Father of Families: “from whom the whole FAMILY in heaven and earth is named” (Eph.3:15). God sets the solitary in families. Moreover, the family is the foundation of society. When the family enjoys divine Order, society benefits! The Family is the social unit of two or more persons related by blood, marriage, or adoption and having a shared commitment to the mutual relationship. Some people are blessed with emotionally, financially, and spiritually supportive families. For others, this has never been their reality. Whatever the case may be, God has a divine Order and an original Design for the human family that is a proper reflection of our heavenly standing in Christ.

Sadly, humanity has veered away from God’s order! The world is thus filled with tragic testimonies about families, including some in the Scriptures. Sin has had devastating effects on the family. Adam and Eve sinned, and he responded by blaming his wife. They raised two sons, and one killed the other. Abraham, God’s chosen man, married two wives, breaking God’s design, and he eventually sent one wife and her child out of the house. Jacob married several wives like his grandfather. His twelve sons ultimately sold their younger brother into slavery. David too embraced many wives and his son raped his sister. Then the daughter’s brother, Absalom, killed the rapist. The biblical narrative shows that many familis were broken by sin. The story of contemporary humanity is no different; sin still destroys family relationships, making the world to be devoid of great models of God’s design. Many cultures are redefining marriage, celebrating polygamy and same-sex relationships!

In God’s order and divine design, there are specific responsibilities for the family members. The wife’s main responsibility is SUBMISSION: “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord” (v.18). This is fitting or appropriate for her position in Christ. To “submit” often carries an offensive connotation in modern society, but submission does not mean “inferiority.” It is actually a military word which simply means, “to arrange under rank” or to “come up under.” A sergeant is not inferior to a captain; they are equal. However, to have order in the military, authority must exist in the relationship or chaos will ensue. Similarly, when God made the marriage relationship, He made it with order for it to function properly. Submission does not imply that the wife is less than the husband in standing before God. Scripture clearly proclaims the equality of all in Christ (Gal.3:28).

The husband’s responsibility is to LOVE his wife: “Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them” (v.19). This ran against the sway of ancient society in which the woman had little or no rights, but was a piece of property meant to serve the husband. In Christ the dignity of womanhood has been restored! The nature of the husband’s love must be Christ-like: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her...” (Eph.5:25-28). His love must be realistic not just romantic; sacrificial not selfish; purposeful not for mere pleasure; and personal – loving her as his own body!

The children’s role is Obedience: “Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord” (Col.3:20). Disobedience to parents is a mark of a world living in denial of God (Rom.1:28-30). A child who is disobedient to parents will disobey every authority; and this is the root of lawlessness in our society. The world today is marked by a lack of authority: children no longer obey parents, students disrespect their teachers, employees dishonor their employers, and multitudes defy divine authority! Parents also have responsivities to their children. These we shall meditate upon in the coming days!

Beyond our nuclear families, there are globally, numerous orphans, widows, and struggling single parents, that demand our Christian response as people who seek to emulate God, the “Father of the fatherless and protector of widows” (Psa.68:5). May we be empowered to embrace these hurting sons and daughters into God's Family, for His pleasure, praise, and Glory!