“THE ROLE OF THE FAMILY”
Halloween is a favorite holiday for most children. They enjoy dressing up and pretending to be someone they’re not. In recent years I’ve also observed more adults choosing to dress up and wear masks. It is unlawful in North Carolina for an adult over the age of sixteen to wear a mask or anything that conceals your identity in public. Yet as we are all aware countless number of people put on masks every day and pretends to be a jovial, warm, caring and loving person in public while actually being completely different at home with their family. At home they do not wear a mask. Christians are called to be the same person at home as we are in public. Today I want us to take a look into how Christians are to relate to one another and especially in our family relationships.
Our primary relationship is the one with our Lord Jesus Christ. When a person comes to faith in Jesus Christ and chooses to follow Christ, scripture indicates that our sins are forgiven and we are a new creation. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV) “17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” Each of us is able to make a new start with Christ yet too many believers fail to read and understand the instruction manual. When Jesus becomes our Lord we are called (expected) to live a life of obedience to Christ. In John 14:23-24 (NIV) “23 Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.” For many people the focus of one’s life does not change, even after accepting Jesus. Once we choose to accept Christ we are to daily yield to Christ. Our life is no longer to be about: me, myself, and I.
Jesus was clear about our priorities. Matthew 6:33 (NIV) “33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” What part of seek first are we not hearing. Paul spoke about the attitude we are to incorporate into our life. Philippians 2:3-7 (NIV) “3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.” We need to tell ourselves every day, throughout the day: Life is not about me. A life of joy will be ours as we learn more and more that we are to put others first. Remember what Jesus said in the upper room when he washed the feet of the disciples. John 13:14-17 (NIV) “14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” Until we have a right relationship with our Lord our other relationships will be out of whack, off center.
As mentioned earlier the relationship we have with our families must reflect the same love we have for Christ. And if Christ is not first then we will not love our families as we should. In Ephesians believers are called in Ephesians 5:21 (NIV) “21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” The next verse is the most quoted verse in the bible by non-Christians and Christians alike. So much focus is on verse 22 that most fail to understand the context that every believer is subject to Christ and we are called to subject ourselves to one another. Paul has just finished telling Christians to be filled with the Holy Spirit so that we will live wisely. We are called to work for the good of the other person. This is most especially true in marriages.
The husband is called to be the head of the relationship with the wife. Remember both are called to put Christ first and to work for the best of the other. Being the head has the meaning of being responsible for another. It does not mean being a dictator. It never gives the right to abuse anyone. Paul defines being the head as having the responsibility to love, to give of your self, and to nurture. Both the husband and the wife are to give up their “rights” for the other. It is a mutual submission.
Parents are to nurture and discipline their children. Yet notice the warning to dads. Ephesians 6:4 (NIV) “4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” The family unit has always been at the center of our relationship with God. The fifth commandment to honor our father and mother is the first commandment with a blessing attached. I will be blunt here. Christian parents in the United States have for the most part become lazy and have failed in nurturing and instructing our children in following Christ. We have failed to teach them even the basics of what to believe. It is the responsibility of the parents to educate in matters of faith. We would rather schools or the local churches do it for us. We all must do better.
When one looks for a scriptural definition of the family you will rarely find the family as being a father, mother, and children. For the most part the word family is defined as the extended family of aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. The New Testament widens the definition of family to include the church, the body of believers. 1 Timothy 5:1-8 (NIV) “1 Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.” One of the difficulties in every church is that they are filled with imperfect people. Satan delights in getting members of churches to devour one another. Yet, praise God, there is forgiveness and always another opportunity to love one another. God brings us together not because we are all alike but because He wants us to learn love, patience, endurance, and even long suffering from one another.
It is clear that God expects families to look after and help their extended family. God expects us to honor our parents by seeing to their welfare as they age. We can not close our eyes as to the needs of our own families and expect God to bless us. As Americans we are too self-centered. This does not mean it will be easy. But to do nothing is to reveal just how shallow our faith has become. The warning is severe. “7 Give the people these instructions, too, so that no one may be open to blame. 8 If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” There may be times when we may wonder why God is not blessing us: as an individual, as a family, and as a church. The answer may be because we have closed our eyes to the needs surrounding us. It is not the place of the government to provide for our own families.
My brothers and sisters, we have a responsibility to first love Christ and to love one another. May we open our eyes of faith and be so filled with the love of Christ that our love will spill over into every relationship beginning with our families.
Let us pray.
No comments:
Post a Comment