MAY 24, 2010

THE PRIORITY OF THE FAMILY

Scripture Reading - Psalms 127-128

"Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it:

except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain"

( 127:1, emphasis added ).

When seeking a proper view of the family, we must understand the priority of the family or why the family is so important to God that we're wasting our time unless we allow Him to build it. Let's look at three reasons the family is God's priority.

First, God created the family. In Genesis 2:18b, after declaring everything He'd created to be good, God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him." Though alone in the Garden of Eden, Adam wasn't lonely. He had wonderful fellowship with God, but God knew he was incomplete. He created a woman ( v. 22 ), Eve, and brought her to Adam, creating the first family. God's uniting of Adam and Eve shows the importance of family to God!

Second, the family is the foundation of society. Genesis 1:28a says, "And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish [ fill ] the earth, and subdue it." As a result, humanity came into existence. During the flood, all humans except Noah and his family were destroyed. God told Noah and his family to "replenish the earth" ( Gen. 9:1 ). In both instances, God used one family to populate the earth. God's choosing to use the family in this way shows its importance to Him!

Third, the family is the heart of the Church. In 1 Timothy, where God gives requirements for spiritual leadership in the Church, the family plays a major role ( 3:2, 4, 5, 11-12 ). Before a man is qualified to lead in the Church, he must be a proven spiritual leader to his family. The Church can never be stronger than its families. That fact makes the family important to God!

POINTS TO PONDER: There's no question the family is important to God. How important is your family to you?

-Jack Palmer