The Priority of Family Life

By: Anthony Martin 

Then God said, Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:26-28 

In the above passage God blesses the relationship between the man and his wife. He tells them to be "fruitful, multiply, and replenish the earth and subdue it" (v.28). This union would produce family life that would be the foundation for love, acceptance, and affirmation for all its members. However, in Genesis 3:1-6 (read the entire chapter), their emotional stability was compromised, which would inevitably affect their family life (Genesis chapter 4). They were deceived into forsaking their covenant with God and jeopardizing the spiritual, emotional, and social welfare of their marriage. 

As a result, we are experiencing the affects of their decision in our families today due to self-centered thinking. This kind of attitude was conceived in Genesis 3:6,  "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat." 

The enemy of self-centered thinking hinders the unity and togetherness of all families, especially, those who are Christ-centered. The idea of the serpent (the devil), is to deceive the members of our families with over-consumptive and self-centered desires. He knows this will negatively affect the spiritual, moral, and emotional condition of our families. This kind of thinking can work in all parties (dad, mom, and children) unless there is a strong defense or stand from God's Word (Hebrews 4:12-13).

The dangers of ignoring or neglecting the emotional needs of our families can open the door to all sorts of problems. For starters, it can create emotional distance, which causes all members to drift and lose sensitivity toward one another. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to where time is spent and how much is dedicated for the family. 

Let's face it, today's secular culture places so many demands upon us; therefore, it is important to organize time for spiritual and social  interaction with our families. We must ever be so careful to make our families our number one priority. We cannot allow the challenges that we face each day to remove us from our place of loyalty and commitment toward family life. The wife needs her husband, the husband needs his wife, and the children need their parents. While we are trying to survive and get ahead the most important part of our lives could be slowly fading right from under us. One way to stay alert is to keep Genesis chapter three before our eyes.

It’s apparent the husband and his wife were not focused on the commitment made to their marriage and family life but “saw that the tree was good for food; and pleasant to the eyes; and a tree desired to make one wise,” which caused them to miss the bigger picture (Genesis 3:6). They could not see the affects their decision would have on their sons, Cain and Abel (Genesis chapter 4). The enemy of selfishness is still very much alive today and could be living in many Christian homes.

Too often we take for granted that we are emotionally together just because we are all together under the same roof. After all, we go to church together, spend social time together, etc. Yet, an entire family can still be absent of the deep emotional connection needed for the growth and welfare of its members.

When there is an absence of deep emotional connection with the husband, wife, and children whether through busyness or neglect, it will create voids that can become very unhealthy. When there is an absence of love, attention, and affection from family members the secular world, will in turn, offer perversion and sensuality as replacements (I John 2:15-17). 

What could be more important than your family?   

What would you trade for your family?  

Each day we are making decisions that answer the aforementioned questions. In many Christian families it is possible that husbands/fathers are distant, out of touch, and overworked; wives/mothers may feel neglected and undervalued; and children could be attempting to deal with difficult situations on their own.

One solution would be to regularly sit down as a family and discuss  everyone's emotional needs. You may discover that all members have various challenges and need the support of the entire family. Making time for family discussion is essential toward comprehending and understanding the importance of each member.

Second, it is healthy to evaluate our daily routines to ensure our families are receiving our best, and not our leftovers. You know, what's left after we have exhausted ourselves upon finishing with everything we wanted or needed to do in the day. If you notice signs of self-centered and selfish behaviors in your family, please do not ignore them. In most cases, it is not intentional; however, one can become so wrapped up into him/herself and become unaware of its affects on the family. 

Third, it is essential that we live out our faith daily. We are to take our values directly from the Holy Bible, which becomes the foundation for practical living. Our lives are to have deep, rich, meaning and translation as it pertains to our faith. We are to maintain a strong conviction in God, as represented in His Son Jesus Christ, and by the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. 

In conclusion, may we keep our focus on the priorities of family life and continue to pay close attention the needs of each member.

Your Child's First Leader

By: Anthony Martin 

Did you know that you have the first opportunity to affect change in the life of your child? You have this amazing chance to help mold and shape this innocent soul for Jesus. This is how God intended for it to be as He placed this delicate and tender human being under your care. Just think, you get the first look at your child’s physical appearance and personality; you have the first opportunity to see your child take his/her first steps; and you are first to feed, clothe, and nurse your child. You get to care for them in mind, body, and spirit before anyone else has an opportunity to become an influence in their life. 

God gives you the gift of leadership to influence your very own image in the earth (your child). When you look at your children, who do you see? You shouldn’t see any image, other than yours and the other parent’s. You have reproduced another human being as an extension of yourself. This human is considered your offspring because he/she “sprung” from you. Now, what this human learns, grows to understand, and ultimately becomes has a lot to do with the type of leadership in his/her life. This is where your influence as a parent comes into play.

There’s no greater charge committed to parents than to provide leadership and direction in the life of their child. This involves molding the child in the Lord Jesus—from the cradle to independent adulthood. All of your child’s first experiences with people will begin with you. Your leadership will impact your child’s emotional and psychological development. The problem we are facing as Christians today is we have delegated the responsibility of leading our children to others such as: grandparents, schoolteachers, principals, guidance counselors, religious leaders, civil leaders, and even sports coaches. Everyone seems to have some kind of influence with our children except for the one God intended in the beginning of the child’s life, which is the parent. 

There are many parents who have reduced their leadership responsibilities to cooking their child’s meals, checking homework, and taking the child to school, doctors’ appointments, and church on Sundays. There is a difference between being a caregiver and a leader in your child’s life. While caregiving is important, it does not substitute for teaching, reinforcing, and leading. In order to provide these dynamics, a parent must be willing to invest personal time emotionally and spiritually. What many parents must understand is the child doesn’t know anything; he/she is raw and new to life. If the child isn’t taught and led under godly and secure leadership from his parents, destructive patterns will occur, which will lead to immoral behavior.  

Maybe many Christian parents are in the home with their children but not into the lives of their children. Leaders must be willing to invest in the lives of those under their care.  They must be willing to go to the core of a person to help bring forth growth and development from those they are leading.  The parent-leader must be willing to see him/herself as just that—a parent-leader. This type of leadership comes by way of the Lord Jesus through the leading of the Holy Spirit. It is under God-ordained authority and must grow and produce the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). 

The parent-leader must be willing to fellowship with other spiritually productive parents and must be self-sacrificing and willing to make the child their number one priority. This leadership should be loving, transparent, affectionate and willing to live as an example before the child in all things.  

As you can see, every child has parents but not every child has a parent-leader in their lives. It’s obvious that many children are turning to leadership from other sources, which can be extremely unhealthy. This can stop if Christian parents will seek to learn and develop in their God-given roles as parent-leaders.

The Future of our Youth

By: Ann Watson

It is important that we develop our youth in righteousness, goodness, and truth. The righteousness of God is what they receive through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the full righteousness of God. As parents, we must guide them to what is acceptable to the Lord. He wants them to adhere to the same truth as all of his believers.

The future of our youth starts with what they see through mature and long-time Christians, especially the lives lived out by their parents. Parents in the Lord are their first examples until they come into the knowledge of the Lord they serve.

The needs of our young people include listening, sharing, and time well spent with them. They have a voice too! They are all challenged by their everyday lives—school, peers, siblings, and even their parents and home lives.

A daily investigation on the parents’ part is necessary for a fully functional child. Young people need to know they’re important.

1. Investigate what they’re faced with in their everyday lives. Make sure they are not left out. We are to be sensitive to their needs.

2. Young people need to be affirmed and appreciated. Without validation they could enter into depression, pull away, and withdraw from life.

3. We, as their parents, are to pay attention to their behavior. We need to be good stewards over our children’s lives. 

It’s not enough to be baseline or surface with them; we need to get into their hearts. There needs to be a healthy balance in their lives—spirit, soul, and body. Sometimes young people can feel unloved, disrespected, and misunderstood. As if they don’t matter. Even as they are getting older, they know that they’re changing and may not always know how to deal with the changes in their bodies, environments, schools, peers, and home lives.

Our youth are the future and they need guidance and leadership in every part of their lives. They need to know they matter to us. In order for them to be ready for what’s ahead of them in the future, they also need to be accepted and free to express their thoughts and feelings. They are also a part of the body of Christ. The Father in Heaven wants his youth to live a life acceptable in goodness, righteousness, and truth.