Will Durant rightly said, “The family is the nucleus of society.” When we consider the creator in His infinite wisdom, it should be obvious that all of society will go the way of its families. This concept is true because every other institution, e.g. cities, counties, states, nations, businesses, churches, etc., are comprised of individual members who are the product of families. It is no wonder then the Bible has so much instruction concerning families. After all, the family is the first of all the institutions of God.
In this discussion, we want to look more closely at the biblical command for us to provide for the needs of our families. In 1 Timothy 5:8, Paul does not mince words concerning those who refuse to provide. He said quite bluntly it is better to be an unbeliever than to be unwilling to provide for our families. The point is, we who profess to have faith in Jesus Christ are held to a higher standard than those who do not.
We need to consider what it means to provide for our own. Some believe this is a reference purely to the physical needs of our families. However, we know from the total biblical picture that God is far more concerned with our spiritual condition (Mt. 6:25-34; 10:39; Mk. 8:34-37; Col. 3:1-2). This does not mean we can downplay the necessity of providing the things needed for the body as the Bible also teaches us that caring for physical needs is the natural outworking of our spiritual labors (Mt. 25:31-46; Jas. 2:14-16; 1 Jn. 3:17). It is not either, or; it is both, and.
The point is we cannot please God while we leave our families in the lurch. This can be a difficult concept for rugged individualists like those who have been reared in the Western world. Nonetheless, difficulty has never been an acceptable excuse for failure to keep the Lord’s commands as Christianity has always been countercultural. Husbands and wives must fulfill their roles to provide for the needs of one another as prescribed in the Bible (Eph. 5:22-33; Col. 3:18-19). Parents must provide for the physical and spiritual needs of their children (Eph. 6:4; Col. 3:21). Children are to repay their parents and care for their needs when they become unable to care for themselves (Mk. 7:9-13; 1 Tim. 5:3-4). Familial responsibilities are of prime importance.
These principles are part and parcel to our fulfilling the call to be lights to the world. It is a sad condition when the people of the world work more diligently to care for their families than some in the Lord’s church. What kind of message do we send concerning the sanctity of marriage when we crack jokes about our husbands or wives and make a mockery of marriage? What do we show the world when we degrade, belittle, and mistreat our children? How can we expect the world to embrace the authority principle of Scripture when we as children do not properly respect the authority of our parents? If we are dysfunctional fathers, how appealing will the biblical analogy of God as our Father be to the world around us? How appealing is the familial analogy of the church as brothers and sisters in Christ when we do not treat our earthly brothers and sisters properly? This list could go on indefinitely.
At the end of the day, we must not neglect our families for our personal pursuits. To do so makes us worse than an unbeliever, and we all know the end for those who do not believe (Jn. 3:18; Heb. 11:6). Let us be sure we put our belief into practice at home.
In this discussion, we want to look more closely at the biblical command for us to provide for the needs of our families. In 1 Timothy 5:8, Paul does not mince words concerning those who refuse to provide. He said quite bluntly it is better to be an unbeliever than to be unwilling to provide for our families. The point is, we who profess to have faith in Jesus Christ are held to a higher standard than those who do not.
We need to consider what it means to provide for our own. Some believe this is a reference purely to the physical needs of our families. However, we know from the total biblical picture that God is far more concerned with our spiritual condition (Mt. 6:25-34; 10:39; Mk. 8:34-37; Col. 3:1-2). This does not mean we can downplay the necessity of providing the things needed for the body as the Bible also teaches us that caring for physical needs is the natural outworking of our spiritual labors (Mt. 25:31-46; Jas. 2:14-16; 1 Jn. 3:17). It is not either, or; it is both, and.
The point is we cannot please God while we leave our families in the lurch. This can be a difficult concept for rugged individualists like those who have been reared in the Western world. Nonetheless, difficulty has never been an acceptable excuse for failure to keep the Lord’s commands as Christianity has always been countercultural. Husbands and wives must fulfill their roles to provide for the needs of one another as prescribed in the Bible (Eph. 5:22-33; Col. 3:18-19). Parents must provide for the physical and spiritual needs of their children (Eph. 6:4; Col. 3:21). Children are to repay their parents and care for their needs when they become unable to care for themselves (Mk. 7:9-13; 1 Tim. 5:3-4). Familial responsibilities are of prime importance.
These principles are part and parcel to our fulfilling the call to be lights to the world. It is a sad condition when the people of the world work more diligently to care for their families than some in the Lord’s church. What kind of message do we send concerning the sanctity of marriage when we crack jokes about our husbands or wives and make a mockery of marriage? What do we show the world when we degrade, belittle, and mistreat our children? How can we expect the world to embrace the authority principle of Scripture when we as children do not properly respect the authority of our parents? If we are dysfunctional fathers, how appealing will the biblical analogy of God as our Father be to the world around us? How appealing is the familial analogy of the church as brothers and sisters in Christ when we do not treat our earthly brothers and sisters properly? This list could go on indefinitely.
At the end of the day, we must not neglect our families for our personal pursuits. To do so makes us worse than an unbeliever, and we all know the end for those who do not believe (Jn. 3:18; Heb. 11:6). Let us be sure we put our belief into practice at home.