Skip to main content

On Marriage and Family


A strong family is the backbone to a thriving society.  And I was shaped by a strong family.  My mother and father have been married for 38 years and counting and I grew up in the same home all of my life.  I consider my upbringing to have been very sheltered compared to many, but I never felt like I missed out on anything.   I have numerous happy memories and some sad ones too.  I've made my fair share of really bad decisions in life, but I ultimately feel equipped to be able to get through this thing called life. 

Why is this important?  Well, the fabric and culture of our society is moving farther away from traditional family households.  We are less and less concerned about who is raising our children.  We are increasingly concerned about how we look physically, and not even on the health of our bodies (which might be okay) but just the shape of them.  We are increasingly sexifying our generation and the ones to come.  We are more concerned about going viral than going to work. 


Can I appeal to you briefly?  You’re doing great.  What about slowing down just a little to establish your marriage and family as a priority in a fun way in your life?  After all, what is all your hard work for without the lovely people in your life to share it with.  Re-implement date night, or stay in and eat popcorn and watch movies together.   You don’t have to hold your breath, likely you are living the good life right now – you just don’t realize it.  We all have things that we want to accomplish and that we’re working toward but if that gets in the way of enjoying every day that we are blessed with, then we have our eyes focused on the wrong thing and we need to readjust our focus. 


In Proverbs, the book of wisdom, it says to “let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you” Proverbs 4:25.    So, what are you focused on? You might say your career, your finances, your happiness, your business.  You might even say your family.  But saying you’re doing everything for your family, while neglecting quality time and quality interactions with them, is really just using them as your noble coverup. 


Here is the truth.  If you really want to enjoy this life and everything that the Lord has to offer you, then you have to get in line with how He sees this life going for you.  It’s an uphill battle without Jesus.  And it’s an uphill battle with Jesus, but having him on your side makes all the difference in who’s doing the climbing. 


When we place our families first, our spouse first and our children close second, then we can really effect change.  It starts at home.  Everything starts at home.



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Real Friends

With all these social networking sites popping up all over the place, its fun to peruse the sites to meet new people and connect with old ones.   We enjoy looking at each other’s pictures, videos, and chatting.   We stay in touch and we reach out to our “Friends.”   I get the idea Facebook had with the whole “friends” craze, though I’m certain they’ve used the term quite loosely. I must apologize before proceeding because I, on the other hand, am quite frugal with the term. FB friends send you a link …real friends take you there. FB friends review your pics…real friends are in them with you. FB friends write on your wall…real friends write on your heart. FB friends respond to your posts…real friends respond to your cries. FB friends start drama on your page…real friends talk it out behind closed doors FB friends only tell you what they like…real friends will tell you what they don’t like FB friends want to know WHAT you’re doing…real friends want to know HOW you’re doin...

Are you a Leader or a Follower?

Being a leader seems to come with its own level of power and prestige.   A leader is thought to be strong, courageous, bold, powerful and full of vision – after all, he is supposed to be leading us somewhere.   A follower, though the term lacks the same glitz and glam as leader, is ever so necessary as well.   How ever could a man lead, if there is no one to follow him?   Each position carries its own weight.   It doesn’t matter whether you lead or follow – it matters “how” and it definitely matters “who”.   As a leader, the people who follow you are your responsibility.   Their life is being influenced by you directly.   They are looking to you for guidance and what you deposit in them will be absorbed.   Parents are leaders by definition because they have direct influence over your children; teachers over their students; Pastors over their congregations; and some friends over other friends – a leader can emerge anywhere.   A leader mu...

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from His love

I need to be reminded of how much God truly loves me.   We all have a generic sense that God loves us.   We’ve heard the song, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so…”   Even with knowing how much God loves me, I still struggle with understanding how that love for me plays out in my life.   God doesn’t love the way we love.   His love is beyond what we even consider.   His love is so specific, so precise and so definite.   Some days, when I’m being nice to my family and I’ve paid my tithes, or given money to someone less fortunate – I feel loved by God.   At least, I may feel more lovable because I’m doing things that God would approve of.   There are many other times when I don’t feel so wonderful.   I may have snapped at a friend or said I couldn’t help out with something when I know I could’ve.   There are times when I am in direct violation of the will of God for my life.   Those times I feel awful. ...