Peace At Home Series

Peace @ Home, Resolving family conflict, Live @ Peace series

Colossians 3:13-21

Eric A. Snyder, Minister.,, Farwell Church of Christ

April 14, 2002

A minister was finishing up a series on marriage. At the end of the

service he was giving out small wooden crosses to each married couple. He said, "Place this cross in the room in which you fight the most and you will be reminded of God’s commands and you won’t argue as much."

One woman came up after the service and said, "You’d better give me five."

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I recently heard a story about the mom & dad with a son who was a freshman in college. He blew off his freshman year. He wasn’t very responsible, didn’t make good grades, squandered his money, & finally came back home. His parents told him, “If you go back to school you’ll have to pay your own way.”

So he had to work that summer & not go on the family vacation. That was part of his punishment. The family went to Greece that year & the mom sent him a postcard, “Dear Son,” she wrote. “Today we stood on the mountains where ancient Spartan women sacrificed their defective children. Wish you were here.”

A little girl’s Prayer: A little girl was being punished by eating alone in the corner of the dining room. The family paid no attention to her until they heard her pray: “I thank Thee, Lord, for preparing a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.”

Do any of these scenario’s describe your life?

We’re in a series about living at peace. This week we are looking at difficult task of living at peace with our families.

The truth is we all speak different languages. Men think and speak one way and women think and speak another, and children and kids speak and think in other ways.

You know the family unit is the oldest small group in the history of the world. It is a group where each person knows a great deal about others in the group. Some of you know exactly what buttons to push to make your parents angry and some of you know exactly how to ask for something that you want.

The family is the ultimate small group you know a lot about each other. You know what people don’t like and what they do like. You have endured confined living space. You have rode together in the same car through a couple of states. Some of you share bedrooms. You all share the same bathrooms, breakfast tables and budget. You see each other every day and are quite accustomed to life with each other.

Any time a group comes together such as this, personalities emerge and conflict in inevitable. If you are in a family you can be assured that there will be times when feelings are hurt, fights are started and grievances are aired.

It’s no secret that husbands and wives fight, we’re not exactly writing fictional scenarios, brothers and sisters have conflict. Sometimes parents and children have conflicts.

“As far as it depends on you’ live at peace with everyone”

Well doesn’t it make sense that after making peace with God we learn how to make peace with our families?

I have done a number of funerals in the past year and the one thing that I can not get over in the number of grievances that have been aired to me during a funeral service.

I have witnessed first hand family members who would not speak for months and hold bitterness and grudges. People who separated themselves from their families and then regretted not making peace while their family was alive.

“Family quarrels are bitter things. They don’t go according to any rules. They’re not like aches or wounds; they’re more like splits in the skin that won’t heal because there’s not enough material.”

F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Bible is clear about how to live peacefully as a family. There are numerous texts that deal with family. Today we are looking at the Book of Colossians Chapter 3 we will be looking at vs. 13-21.

Theses texts are separated but they really fit together. Paul is addressing how to treat other people then he talks specifically about how to deal with certain aspects of family life. So if you have your bibles we are in

Colossians 3: 13-21

13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.21 Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.