BUILDING A STRONG CHRISTIAN FAMILY
Psalms 27:1-5
Talking to an expatriate worker in the Middle East, one reporter asks the question: What motivate you to endure all the hardships, discriminations, injustices and loneliness while working in other country? The expatriate answered, “I’m doing all this sacrifices for my family.”
Being a Filipino Overseas Worker (OFW), I am one of the many expatriates working in the Middle East and I can tell you by experience how hard it is to work in a foreign land with the culture totally different from your own. We all agree that we are doing all this sacrifices for our family. But ironically, instead of building our family, statistic show us the other stories of broken marriages, fatherless children and ruin lives.
If we will just be sensitive to what these circumstances are telling us, we will realize that it is impossible to make a successful and happy family without God as the foundation of the house. The Scripture said:
Psa 127:1 [1] EXCEPT THE Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; except the Lord keeps the city, the watchman wakes but in vain.(1)
Psa 127:2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to take rest late, to eat the bread of [anxious] toil--for He gives [blessings] to His beloved in sleep.
Psa 127:3 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.(2)
Psa 127:4 As arrows are in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth.
Psa 127:5 Happy, blessed, and fortunate is the man whose quiver is filled with them! They will not be put to shame when they speak with their adversaries [in gatherings] at the [city’s] gate.(AMP)
In the year 1787, one statesman stands in the US constitutional convention. Here is the part excerpt from his speech.
“I have lived for a long time [81 years]; and the longer I live the more convincing proofs I see of this truth, that God governs in the affairs of man. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, sir, in the sacred writings, that “Except the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain that build it.” I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without his concurring aid we shall proceed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel: we shall be divided by our little, partial, local interests; our prospects will be confounded; and we ourselves shall become a reproach and a by-word down to future ages. And what is worse, mankind may hereafter, from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing government by human wisdom, and leave it to chance, war, or conquest. I therefore beg leave to move that henceforth prayers, imploring the assistance of Heaven and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this assembly every morning before we proceed to business;’ and that one or more of the clergy of this city be requested to officiate in that service”. – The man is Benjamin Franklin who gave his Speech in Convention for forming a Constitution for the United States, 1787.
If the great men of history acknowledge that the great God is the foundation of even the great country, when we will realize that God is also the foundation of the strong family?
I. THE FOUNDATION OF A STRONG CHRISTIAN FAMILY
We must put our dependence on God in all the affairs of the family. We must look on God as the builder, the keeper and the ultimate provider.
1. God is the builder of our family
Psa 127:1 [1] EXCEPT THE Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it;…
As a parent, it is our responsibility to train our children and prepare them for their future. We want them to be strong and we build them according to the knowledge that we acquired in our experiences in life. Those human strategy and disciplines are not bad.
However we have to realize that God is the real owner of our children. He is the real builder of our family. We must acknowledge Him as the real head of our family and we must build our family according to His Word. All our effort will be a failure in the end unless we recognize God as the real head in our family.
God use pillars to build your house:
• God uses the pillar of His word to build our faith on Him
• God uses the pillar of prayer to build our trust on Him
• God uses the pillar of love to build our bond
• God uses the pillar of understanding to build our character
• God uses the pillar of forgiveness to make us compassionate
• God uses the pillar of examples and testimony from parents to build our attitude
• God uses the pillar of obedience to make us His children
2. God is the protector of our family
Psa 127:1… except the Lord keeps the city, the watchman wakes but in vain.(1)
In the time of advance technology and information, the access of our children to bad influences and polluting information is almost impossible to avoid. All of us specially our children are vulnerable to the attack of bad influence and protection of our family is on the alarming status.
This is the right time to admit our own limitation and ask the help from the real protector of our family no other than God. We cannot watch and protect our family 24/7. Only the omnipresent and all power God is able to do this impossible job of protecting our family.
God use fences to protect our family:
• God uses the fence of His teaching to protect us from false belief
• God uses the fence of the church and brethren to protect our emotions
• God uses fence of our family to protect our hearts
• God uses the fence of his presence to protect our soul
• God uses the fence of His love so no one can separate us from Him
3. God is the provider of our family
Psa 127:2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to take rest late, to eat the bread of [anxious] toil--for He gives [blessings] to His beloved in sleep.
The effectiveness of labors and cares is dependent on the operation and providence of God; and all human strength care, and industry is in itself vain
God provide us blessing to give us reasons to thank Him
• God use the milk and bread of the word of God to nourish us
• God use the water of His Spirit to refresh and revive us
• God provides favors and opportunities
• God provides our life
• God provides us wisdom and abilities
• God provides us healing
• God provides wealth
• God provides our jobs
• God provides friends
• God provides partners in life
If God is the foundation of a strong family, then we should build our family on Jesus. Jesus is the Rock, the Strong Foundation of our family.
• We can build our life on Jesus by hearing and obeying His word (Mt 724-25)
• We can build our life on Jesus by making Him our top priority (Mt. 6:33)
• We can also build our life on Jesus by prayer of devotion to Him
• We can build our life to Jesus by trusting and thanking Him in every events of our life
• We can build our life to Jesus by inviting Him to be the King and Lord of our life
• WE can build our life to Jesus by surrendering our will and plans to Him
II. THE COMPENSATION OF A SUCCESFUL CHRISTIAN FAMILY
Children: If we can just train them in the ways of the Lord, they can be a reward, a weapon and a blessing not only to their parent but to the whole community.
1. Godly children trained by good examples are reward
Psa 127:3 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.(2)
Mentoring our children is not an easy job. It takes prayers, patience and love to train them. But those who successfully prepare them according to the will of God will reap bountifully the fruit of their labor.
2. Godly children discipline and bended by God’s word are like weapon
Psa 127:4 As arrows are in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth.
As the bow of an arrow is being pulled and bended by the archer and aim it to the right direction, so our children should be bended, shaped to reach the right direction according to the will of God. As we aim the arrow to the right direction and release them, children will reach their proper goal if we prepare them and point them to Jesus. If we release them without proper bending and aiming, they will not reach the right direction.
3. Godly children taught by God’s teachings are blessing
Psa 127:5 Happy, blessed, and fortunate is the man whose quiver is filled with them! They will not be put to shame when they speak with their adversaries [in gatherings] at the [city’s] gate.
The first command of God is for man to be fruitful and multiply. The Lord gave the divine ordinance that every living creature should produce their own kind. As Christian, we should produce the same faith, values and character through our children. Children can be a blessing to us and to the community if we can only train them according to God’s word.
If you have been blessed, encouraged or inspired by this sermon then it’s your turn to be an encouragement too. You can do it by sending email to this contributor at spy2rb@yahoo.com or post comment on the discussion box below.
