Preserving the
Family
Pastor Bimbo Runsewe
How does one define a family unit? Most definitions would describe a unit consisting of father, mother and children. However, in the beginning the Almighty God started with the man and the woman, provided a comfortable place for them to be together, and then added the children to them. The family is preserved when the union of marriage is preserved in the context of God. From the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. “For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh...” (Genesis 2:24). There has to be a leaving first, before the cleaving. So in other words, make your family a priority, even if it calls for you to rearrange your lives. Set time apart to talk and plan; do not take your family for granted. Purpose to spend time together even with a busy work schedule as most people have today; make time for your family like you do everything else. Do not assume that they will understand your hard work outside the home. The book of Ephesians 4:32 gives some basic ingredients of having successful relationships even within the family: be kind, have a tender heart and be forgiving toward one another. Spend your time on things that enhance your family rather than things that diminish. Cultivate and nurture your relationships; a well nourished family is healthy in every way. Also, it is important for couples to recognize and strive to meet each other’s needs by keeping the line of communication open (practice active listening). In addition, we as Christians know that children are a gift from God and not a burden. We should therefore bring them up as such: get your children involved in the things that are important to your family from an early age. Nurture them; begin to apply the same principles you have applied to each other to them. The word of God in the book of Proverbs 22:6 says “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Be open and available to them and cultivate an atmosphere of trust, security, love, and understanding in your home. Make the home a place to want to be.
Abisola Abolude Morgan State University
16 | Family