I love this quote from former President Lyndon Johnson.
“The family is the cornerstone of our society. More than any other force it shapes the attitude, the hopes, the ambitions, and the values of the child. And when the family collapses it is the children that are usually damaged. When it happens on a massive scale the community itself is crippled. So, unless we work to strengthen the family, to create conditions under which most parents will stay together, all the rest – schools, playgrounds, and public assistance, and private concern – will never be enough…”
There are those in society who want anything connected with “God” to go away and that includes the family unit as it has been since the beginning of human history. The “Family” has its creation, not in the great wisdom of mankind, but from the very heart of God. Through a family, God created humankind. Through a family, God spared the human race during the great flood. Through a family, God gave us a Savior. It’s quite clear that God has a plan for the family.
Let me share a strong conviction of mine.
God Cares About Your Home!
Look at these passages from the Book of Psalms.
Psalm 127, (NIV) – Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. 2 In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for he grants sleep to those he loves. 3 Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. 4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. 5 Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.
Psalm 128, (NIV) – Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to Him. 2 You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours. 3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. 4 Yes, this will be the blessing for the man who fears the Lord.
In these two powerful Psalms, God is presented as a builder who has laid out a blueprint for the home. God’s design doesn’t simply guide us to a sound, stable home, but a happy one as well. Look at the first word in Psalm 128:1, “Blessed.” In the original language is baruk and is in the plural form. Why is that important you ask? Well, it means that Phil Robertson wasn’t the first person to say, “Happy, Happy, Happy!” Psalm 128:1 could read, “Happy, Happy, Happy are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to Him.”
God is a master builder and He wants to build happy, happy, happy homes. Go with me on a short journey and let’s examine a blueprint we see in the Scriptures for a happy home.
First of all. Happy Homes are DEVOTED to the LORD.
Notice who is the builder in Psalm 127:1…IT IS THE LORD. Now look down at Psalm 128:1, who is happy? The ones who fear the LORD. Now fear in this passage refers to reverence and trust. It’s like a child who runs through the house with his hands lifted in the air with excitement when dad comes home.
Second. Happy Homes are DIRECTED by the Word of the LORD.
Look again at Psalm 128:1 – “who walks in obedience to Him!”
God has a beautiful design for the home and when we follow His design, there is joy. When we walk outside of His directives, we begin to make a mess of things. Can I get a witness?
Notice some key elements for a home following Biblical principles.
- Husbands LOVE their Wives and LEAD their Families
Ephesians 5:25, (CSB) – Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her.
1 Peter 3:7, (CSB) – Husbands, in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker partner, showing them honor as co heirs of the grace of life.
- Wives RESPECT their Husbands and CHERISH their Families.
Ephesians 5:22-23, (CSB) – Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord because the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church.
Eve was taken from the side of Adam, not the back or front. Husbands and wives must understand that they are coequal, coheirs. However, someone has to give leadership. A body with no head is dead. A body with two heads is a monster.
Study after study gives testimony to the design we find in Scripture is accurate. Men have an instinctive need to feel respected and cherished and most women have a natural longing for affection and strength in their relationships.
3. Children are a DELIGHT
Psalm 127: 3-4, (NIV) – Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. 4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. 5 Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.
4. Parenting is a PRIVILEGED RESPONSIBILITY
I love verse 4. Children are like arrows in the hands of a warrior. What do you do with an arrow? You aim it in the direction you want it to go and then you release it! Parents have the responsibility to help their children prepare for adulthood and seek out the plan God has for them. They are designed to grow – to launch and if you don’t prepare them, they will find a way to launch on their own.
Hispanic cultures understand this and one of the highest moments in the life of a Hispanic teenager comes at the age of 15. The Jewish culture understands this. The whole life of a child is being molded for the special moment when they turn 13 and celebrate the coming of age as an adult. In ancient days, Jewish Rabbis would take young men at 12 years of age and test them to see if they were developed well enough to become their disciple.
God cares for the family. He cares for your family. He has laid out the building blocks for building a happy home. It’s up to us to engage in the design and go to work on our families. In our next blog, we dive into Psalm 128:3 that pictures a happy wife to that of a flourishing vine.
Check back soon.
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Pursuing Truth with Chris Vaught 