Enjoying Family Life (2)
With great joy, I bring God's Word your way today. Last week, the foundation for enjoying family life was revealed to us. This glorious week, we will be looking at God's Purpose for A Living Family.
Family life is very precious in the heart of the Almighty God. He plainly reveals His interest in the family to us, by making it the very first institution that was established after the creation of man. No wonder, He said in Genesis 2:18: It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
It was also the instrument that God desired man to use, in order to fulfill His first and foremost commandment to "Be fruitful and multiply ... replenish ... subdue ... and have dominion..." (Genesis1:28). This means that the success of any man (or nation) would be tied to their family life.
It is, therefore, unfortunate that the family lives of many individuals are in shambles. Some have hit the rock, while others care less about their families. Satan, himself, has made the family his target for attack. Many individuals have their minds poisoned against their families. The issue of family to some others is dead and not to be revisited for any reason. Even some Christian families still struggle to keep their family lives and fellowship alive.
However, God's will for you is for your life and family to be alive and full of sparkle, joy and excitement. Even if the whole world is hostile to your existence, the thought of your family life and members should ease off the tension and stress confronting you. The Lord has designed the family to be a place of security, where you can be corrected when wrong and still be loved and appreciated at the same time. It is a place where you don't have to stand alone (isolated) for, "it is not good that man should be alone." The family is where others are willing to stand by you and help you get on the right track in life. God's Word makes it clear that new life is available for your family.
Family life doesn't have to be a drag or a dead matter. As you read on, your family will become a living family in the mighty name of Jesus.
If you want to enjoy a living family, the first thing you need to do is to understand and accept that family is of divine origin, not an earthly one. It is God that originated it. Whatever God establishes or sanctions is not to be taken lightly. Your family is not something you can afford to be indifferent about. You can't say, "If everything is fine with my husband or wife, fine," or "If we are not on speaking terms then, I will just disappear from home," or "If my children pass their exams, I will give them a gift and if they don't, it's their mother's fault."
If you want to enjoy a living family, you must be ready to make God the centre of your family life. If you are not ready to make the Lord the centre of your family life, then enjoying a living family will only remain a dream to you and not a reality. Anyone who is not ready to mind God is definitely not ready to enjoy a living family, because the breath of God (His Word) will have no access to his (or her) home. Give God His rightful place and the attention that is required to your family. You do this by paying attention to His Word and obeying His instructions. "When you have followed the Lord's instructions, His glory will appear to you" (Lev. 9:6).
For every instruction you obey, God's glory begins to come into your home and family life. Your family shall be an example to other homes because of how bright each member appears spiritually, mentally, socially and physically.
Here is a touching testimony: "I have been married for over 12 years, but what I am enjoying now, I've never enjoyed since I got married. I thank God for His Word to me through you. You taught ... and laid emphasis on wives being submissive to their husbands in everything, just like the church submits to Christ. My understanding opened and I told God, 'Lord, from this day, I know that obedience is the key.' Ever since that day, I have been enjoying what all my fasting, binding and all couldn't deliver to me. I thank God that now it's like I am wedded anew. Just yesterday morning, to confirm God's faithfulness in my home, my husband gave me a cheque of one hundred thousand Naira, which I cashed this morning. I now enjoy peace, love and harmony." --Adebayo, L.
The beginning of letting God have His rightful place is to be a born-again child of God. You become born again by confessing your sins and accepting Jesus as your Saviour and your Lord. If you want to be born again, please say this prayer: "Dear Lord Jesus, I believe that You are the Son of God. You died for my sins and on the third day You rose again from the dead that I might be liberated from the power of sin and death. I come to You today by faith upon your Word and repent of every sin in my life. Henceforth, I choose to follow after You Lord and uphold your righteousness. Thank You, Lord, for saving me."
Congratulations! You are now born again and fit to enjoy every covenant blessing!
If you prayed the above simple prayer, you are now a child of God. He loves you and He will never leave you. Read your Bible daily, obey God's Word and seek Christian fellowship (John 14:21).
Call or write, and share your testimonies with me through:
E-mail: faithdavid@yahoo.com Tel. No: 234-1-7747546-8;
For more insight, these books authored by Pastor Faith Oyedepo are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all the Living Faith Churches, and other leading Christian bookstores:
v Single With A Difference
v Marriage Covenant,
v Making Marriage Work
v Building a Successful Family
v The Effective Minister's Wife
v Success in Marriage (Co-Authored with Bishop David Oyedepo).