Receiving God’s Vision For Families

Strong families don’t just happen… they are built! The bible tells us that ‘unless the Lord builds the house, those who are building it labor in vain’. A Christian family built by God has a strong foundation of biblical principles, sturdy walls of close relationships, and a secure roof of God’s blessing. Families who labor to assure Christ as their foundation will stand strong in the midst of trials, instead of crumbling when the storms of life pervade. Unfortunately, we live in a culture where the family structure is fading away and families are therefore falling apart. According to researchers (or research), it is estimated that 70 to 88 percent of all self-professed Christian teens are leaving the church by their 2nd year of college. To put it another way, 8 out of 10 kids from Christian homes are walking away from their parent’s faith once they leave the home. Why? Is it possible that we’ve lost God’s vision for families? It’s like we’ve lost sight of simple lessons learned in our infancy: When our foundation is weak and our materials are shoddy, the Wolf will undoubtedly blow our house down.

Surely families also long to have not only the kind of strength that protects from dangers but also the kind of strength that empowers for change. It only takes a quick look around today to know that everyone in the world is in desperate need of radical transformation. Why is it not happening? Could it be that we have adopted a short-sighted and shallow view of what God wants to do in and through families? We need the kind of strength that is both secure and unshakable as well as powerful and effective. Families must stand strong against the negative influences of the culture and seek to be powerfully influential as they stand strong for the truth, love, and righteousness. Husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, are you ready to recapture God’s vision for families?