Re-Building a Strong Family
1. Galatians. 5:22-26
2. Ephesians.5:21-26
Ps.127
One of the closest things to the heart of God is the family. God created the family to be in relationship with him. God created the family to be in service of him. God created the family to mentor future generations of followers.
Family start with a term called marriage. A marriage is the institution of God. Whom God has brought together let no man asunder.
In a world with so much suffering, happy families are harder and harder to find. Perhaps you came from a broken family—
A family's health and happiness can be broken by alcoholism, physical abuse, sexual abuse—and even by wrong ideas about child-rearing. But broken families can be rebuilt, and Scripture provides a blueprint to show how this can be done!
1. Rebuild your family with Love: (Ephesians.5:21-26, 6:1).
Love is one of the impotent criteria lacking in families today. Most of the young couple who were in love for couple of years are broken because of the lacking of love.
Galatians. 5:22: The First fruit of all is “LOVE”.
IN Greek there are 3 types of Love
1. Eros: This is a selfish kind of love.
2. Agape: This is a special term which represents the divine-love
3. Philos: This is a unique kind of love like the one you have for a companion or pal. It refers to loving one another just like your brother or sister.
2. Rebuild your family with your Time.
In recent years there seem to have been a breakdown in families .... families sitting down to dinner, praying, sharing meals and conversation...and spending quality time together. In my home, for example, due to different work schedules and other activities,
ILL: SON: "Daddy, may I ask you a question?"
DAD: "Yeah sure, what is it?"
SON: "Daddy, how much do you make an hour?"
DAD: "That's none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?"
SON: "I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?"
DAD: "If you must know, I make $100 an hour."
SON: "Oh! (With his head down).
SON: "Daddy, may I please borrow $50?"
The father was furious.
DAD: "If the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you are being so selfish. I work hard every day for such this childish behavior."
The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door.
The man sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy's questions. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money?
After about an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think:
Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $ 50 and he really didn't ask for money very often. The man went to the door of the little boy's room and opened the door.
DAD: "Are you asleep, son?"
SON: "No daddy, I'm awake".
DAD: "I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier. It's been a long day and I took out my aggravation on you. Here's the $50 you asked for."
The little boy sat straight up, smiling.
SON: "Oh, thank you daddy!"
Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled up bills. The man saw that the boy already had money, started to get angry again. The little boy slowly counted out his money, and then looked up at his father.
DAD: "Why do you want more money if you already have some?"
SON: "Because I didn't have enough, but now I do. "Daddy, I have $100 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you." The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little son, and he begged for his forgiveness.
It's just a short reminder to all of you working so hard in life. We should not let time slip through our fingers without having spent some time with those who really matter to us, those close to our hearts. Do remember to share that $100 worth of your time with someone you love? If we die tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of days. But the family and friends we leave behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives. And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more into work than to our family.
Some things are more important.
3. Rebuild your family with Christian ethics: (Joshua 24:15)
“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
The right place to build a life and a family is with Jesus Christ. So before you focus on building a happy and healthy home, you need to give your heart and life to Jesus.
Illustration
Bob and Barbara seemed to have an ideal family. Their friends at church knew them as a handsome young couple with four attractive children. Bob was a skilled tradesman, and Barbara was a full-time homemaker. They lived in a nice home in a nice subdivision. All in all, they seemed to personify the "American dream" to most who knew them.
There was a darker side, however. Much of what their friends thought they knew about Bob and Barbara was an illusion. Though the couple kept up a good front for years, eventually cracks began to appear in their façade. You see, Bob had a drinking problem—and it was growing steadily worse. It was the family secret.
As Bob's drinking increased, Barbara became more resentful, and the fights between them grew more frequent and intense. By the time Bob finally acknowledged that he had a problem, and sought help, Barbara was so overcome with bitterness, resentment and hurt that she no longer cared. Over the next several years, this "ideal family" came apart—with tragic results for each member. Their lives went from dream to nightmare.
Conclusion
The family life is not man centered but God centered. Marriage is one of the greatest gifts God ever gave to humanity. But, it is truly beautiful when it is operates like God intended it to. God and His Word must come first. Biblical ethics shows how the man and women in Christ must live in the presence of God and in the power of the Spirit.
May your families be once again be rebuilt with
1. with your Love
2. with your Time
3. with Christian Ethics
