God's Will For The Family

THE ATTACK THAT THE ENEMY HAS LAUNCHED ON THE FAMILY IS STRATEGIC. HIS REASON FOR ATTACKING THE FAMILY IN SUCH A STRONG WAY IS THAT THE FAMILY HAS BEEN DESIGNED BY GOD TO BE THE BEST PICTURE WE HAVE OF GOD’S RELATIONSHIP WITH MAN. IF THE ENEMY CAN DISTORT OUR VIEW OF THE FAMILY, HE HAS IN ESSENCE DISTORTED OUR VIEW OF GOD AND HIS KINGDOM.

GODLY ORDER OF THINGS:

Relationships

Roles

Responsibilities

Results

Society would have us to believe that this works the other way. But, when we get this out of order, we get ourselves into turmoil and frustration and unnecessary stress. Anytime we exalt anything about relationships, we are breaking down God’s order and God’s established plan.

*Verse 21 gives us the will of God in ALL RELATIONSHIPS. We are to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. In essence, if we aren’t able to submit to one another that we are with in the natural, we have no way of saying we are submissive to Christ in the spiritual.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE GODLY FAMILY AND THE ROLE EACH MEMBER PLAYS:

1. Submission.

a. Submission is the act of accepting or yielding to the will or authority of another person.

b. The only time submission is ever forced is when you are facing an opponent such as in wrestling or in war. If you are trying to force submission at home, you are viewing your family as your opponent.

c. When the relationship is right, submission is natural.

d. When I know that the authority figure in my life loves me and has my best interest in mind, submission happens without even a thought.

e. Authority is only real when it is exercised in love.

f. The husband must love his wife before he can ever expect to see any type of submission to his authority. He doesn’t seek to demand or force it. He loves her, provides for and protects her and sacrifices for her in the same way Christ did for the church and submission should be natural.

g. The wife who has this godly husband at home should have no issue with submission.

2. Humility.

a. Humility is a modest or low view of one’s own importance. You don’t value yourself above everyone else.

b. Humility means that you realize the whole is worth more than the sum of the parts.

c. Far too often the family has at least one member who feels they are more important than everyone else.

d. Jesus says in Mark 10:45 that He didn’t come to be served but to serve and sacrifice Himself.

e. Our biblical responsibility is to prefer others above ourselves.

f. The backward relationship focuses on how well the other person is doing at making me happy. Humility in the relationship says, “what can I do to make them happy?”

3. Gentleness.

a. Gentleness is kindness or tenderness. It is not harsh or severe.

b. We want to have the fruit of the Spirit at church but fail to utilize it in the home.

c. How many homes today are simply shouting matches? The concept of gentleness and working through out of relationship seem to be out the door.

d. Key Point: RULES WITHOUT RELATIONSHIP WILL ALWAYS LEAD TO REBELLION!!!!

e. Empty demands and rules have taken the place of genuine, gentle communication that will lead to where we want to be.

f. Again, we want the results without the relationship.

4. Patience.

a. Patience is the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble or suffering without getting angry or upset. Patience is much more active than it is passive.

b. Patience doesn’t mean you sit back and do nothing. It means you work with what you have.

c. Impatience in the home stems from a relationship issue. You just don’t think the other person is measuring up to where you want them to be.

d. Every person with whom we are in relationship deserves the same patience be shown to them that God has shown to us.

e. Instructing and teaching your child is going to take time.

f. Ephesians says to not exasperate your child. This means don’t irritate them or drive them crazy by placing unrealistic demands on them. Give them time.

g. Do yourself and society a favor. Be patient as a PARENT. Don’t try and be their buddy. They have enough friends. They need a parent.

h. In terms of your marriage. Remember that there was a time you would do anything to protect the relationship. You would work through whatever it takes. Be patient.

i. This whole tendency of trying it out and having a way out at the first sign of trouble is a lack of patience, character and maturity.

j. Many of the things that we allow to bring division in the home are the result of our lack of patience.