Family Problems Series

Let us look at Five Steps to see how our families are protected from problems - internal family problems, discord, disunity and misunderstandings. You know, every family goes through all these things, but as God's children, how should we protect our family from all these things and walk in love and unity?

Here is the first thing. Jesus said, “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. Storms will come, winds will blow that house, but the house will not fall.” Matthew 7:24. If you want your house to stand especially as a testimony for the Lord and to stand through all problems and attacks of the devil and misunderstanding, you have to become the doer of God's word, and not just a hearer only. Whatever you hear, start putting into practice. Bible says, “Don't just become hearers of God's word, because hearers are not justified, but the doers of God's word are justified”. One day we all have to stand before the judgment seat of Christ and Jesus will ask you, “Did you do my word? Did you do my word?”

The second thing is, to become a servant of all. Ask God for the spirit of servanthood. God himself is a great servant. Jesus came as a servant. He said, “I didn't come among you to be served, but to serve you”. He came to serve and give His life as a ransom for others. So, be a servant and the one who always seeks opportunities to give His life. Think, How I can suffer for these people? How I can take their burden? How I can help them? It must not be – ‘Everybody should serve me. I should be pampered. Everybody should listen to me’ No! Compare your life in the light of the crucified Christ. Lead a crucified lifestyle. The power of God is released from you, to transform people around you, when you lead a crucified life. Don't expect even a ‘Thank you’ from anybody. Do you know, the lowliest Christian is the loveliest Christian? So become very humble. Be very humble and serve. Give your life for others, so that they will get blessed. Prefer others before you. Esteem others above you. When you live in nothingness of self, all the time for others, you are like Jesus and the life of God will flow through you and will transform people around you.

The third thing for having blessings, unity and a problem-free family life is, we need God's wisdom in our day-to-day Life. The Bible says, if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God and God will give you liberally (James 1:5). A double- minded person is unstable in all his ways. Don't be double minded. Ask God to give you wisdom. Say, “God I lack wisdom to run my family, to be in my family or be a part of the family. How do I solve the problems? How can I have unity? Lord, I lack wisdom. Please give me wisdom.” Then, God will give you wisdom. You know, many times in many cases, there are fights and quarrels in the family, but if you dig and find out the cause for that, it will be a silly reason and most of the problems are wisdom or an understanding problem. So, ask God to give you wisdom and understanding.

The fourth thing is to depend upon the Holy Spirit. It's not by our might or by our power. We need the help of the Holy Spirit. So time and time again ask the Holy Spirit to help you. When the situation is going out of your hand, ask the Holy Spirit to help you. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and say, “Holy Spirit take control of my family.” Depend on the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will lead you into all the truth. He will lead you in Christ likeness.

And the fifth thing as we all know is, ‘the family that prays together stays together’. In spite of all the differences and difficulties between husband and wife, children, parents and relatives every day, pray together, saying, “God have mercy on us!” Pray together and become a person of prayer. Have family prayers. Give the Word of God first place in the family and you will see that the devil will be away from the house, away from the family. There’ll be such love for one another. Jesus said, “If you love one another as I have loved you, then the world will know that you are my disciples”. (John 13:35). Just love people around you, as Jesus loves you. God bless you!