
THE FAMILY STRUCTURE.
“For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.” Hebrews 3:4
“Every wise woman buildeth her house …” Proverbs 14:1
The word “house” in the above passages is not referring to a physical structure, but to a family structure – the individuals who make up the home. It is man’s responsibility to build his/her house. You build by organizing and administering the individuals under your roof.
“Let the deacons be the husband of one wife, ruling (administering) their children and their own houses well.” 1 Timothy 3:12
The family structure requires effective administration.
When this is lacking, families in turn produce individuals who tear down and destroy the society. The essence of the family, therefore, is to create an atmosphere or environment for effective administration and preparation of individuals, so they can grow and properly pursue the plan of God for their lives.
Mrs. Graham, mother of the famous Tele-Evangelist, Billy Graham, speaking about family life said,
“…The house of the wicked shall be overthrown: but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish …” There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother (Proverbs 14:11; 30:11).Mr. Graham and I did not want that to happen in our family. When we get away from what the Bible says, we are in trouble. We knew there was only one right way to live, and it was all laid out for us in the bible, It is how we tried o live, and how we wanted our children to learn to live.
Billy Graham himself said, “In many crusades over the years, I have devoted at least one message to the subject of the family. In my depression-era growing up years we had family solidarity, we cared about each other, and we liked to do things together. My mother saw to it that we gathered frequently and regularly. She gathered us around herself and my father, to listen to Bible stories, to join in family prayers, and to share a sense of the presence of God.”
No wonder the Grahams have an enviable family life. Your own testimony will be brighter, in Jesus’ name!
“Charity’, they say, “begins at home.” It doesn’t end there though; it only begins from there. This means the home is where the character and destiny of an individual should begin and take proper shape. A typical biblical example of this is the case of Abraham. In Genesis 18:19, God speaking about Abraham said:
For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.
Abraham had a grasp of God’s purpose for the family. By that understanding, he was able to order his household aright. The result of that was that God was pleased with him and ensured that Abraham and his household were successful in all they did. Till today, Christians the world over still identify with Abraham. If God were to comment on your marriage or family today, would He say something positive about it?
The family is the foundational block for the society, while marriage is the foundational block for the family. Satan always targets marriages to destroy them. This is because to destroy marriages would mean to destroy families, and to destroy families would mean to destroy the Church, the society, and the nation. But we must not allow this to happen.
God established the family as the first and most fundamental element of the human society. Marriage is a foundational institution that existed before all other institutions. It is the oldest institution in the world.
God is a God of priorities. He established the institution of marriage before the Church. He first set up marriage, before He came down to fellowship with man in the cool of the day (Genesis 2:18-25; 3:8).
Before there were nations or governments, schools or businesses, there was the family, and before the family was marriage. Marriage 18 FouLid any it is on this relationship that God began to build society.
When God brought Adam and Eve together in the garden, marriage was the framework for the development. of their social interaction as they grew together. It was in the context of marriage that they learnt their responsibilities towards each other and lived out their commitments to each other. The human society in all its forms depends on the institution of marriage for survival.
Marriage is also the foundation upon which the Church, the community of believers, and God’s special society rests. The New Testament describes the relationship between Christ and His Church as being like that of a bridegroom and his bride. This analogy has significant implications for understanding how husbands and wives are to relate with each other (Ephesians 5:21-23, 25, 31-32).
The relationship between Christ and His Church is a model of what should exist between a husband and his wife: a relationship of respect, mutual submission, and sacrificial love. All through the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, the word “house” is used to refer to the family, the smallest, but yet the most basic unit of society. More than ever before, the family needs the help of God to be free from the troubles, woes, and calamities that befall it daily.
Although every house and family is built by some man or woman, but for any house or family to remain standing and stand the test of time, an understanding of what the family stands for must be grasped. Also each family must be founded and built on the principles and master plan of God, the Originator…
This text is an extract from the book “BUILDING A SUCCESSFUL FAMILY” written by Faith A. Oyedepo.
We invite you to read the following article “MAKE NO PROVISION FOR DIVORCE“.
THE FAMILY STRUCTURE. THE FAMILY STRUCTURE.
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