Building Strong Families
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· 2 viewsBuilding strong families invites peace to your life
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
In the last several weeks, I have been talking with you about Peace—how can we experience peace in our lives?
We talked about believing in Jesus Christ which brings us peace with God.
We talked about trusting in God which brings peace, even when life seems chaotic.
Last week we looked at forgiveness as an essential way to experience peace in our relationships.
TODAY, I want us to look at relationships further—family relationships—and how family can be a source of peace OR a source of stress and pain.
The challenges families face today
Financial limitations or the lack of financial management.
Personality conflicts.
Disagreement on how to guide and discipline children.
Brokenness in our marriages.
Generational divides.
All of these challenges have the potential of robbing us of peace in our lives.
I sincerely believe that the answer is rooted in our belief and trust in God.
God’s Word—His written revelation to us—is filled with principles that help us in our lives.
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.
So, it is God’s Word that we are going to this morning to learn about how we can build strong families.
Ephesians chapter 5
33 So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
1 Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do.
2 “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise:
3 If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.”
4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.
God’s Word gives us the building blocks to strengthen and encourage our families to grow and thrive.
First building block we are going to look at today is:
Love
Love
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 25.43 ἀγαπάω; ἀγάπη, ης
ἀγαπάω
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 25.43 ἀγαπάω; ἀγάπη, ης
to have love for someone or something, based on sincere appreciation and high regard—‘to love, to regard with affection, loving concern, love
In the context of this verse, the instruction is focused on the husband.
Does this mean that wives don’t need to love their husbands? No.
It does mean that in days of the early church, in the culture of Rome, men could be very selfish and focused on themselves. “Oh, that can describe us today.”
Sincere appreciation and high regard—putting others first—and seeking their greatest good—is so necessary to build strong families.
But what happens when Love is missing or in short supply? What happens to families when we are more concern about ourselves that others?
Self-centered.
12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.
Second building block we need for strong families:
Respect
Respect
φοβέομαι
To have such awe or respect for a person as to involve a measure of fear—‘to fear, to show great reverence for, to show great respect for.’
This is not a fear (scared) but to stand in awe of someone.
We need common sense respect in our families—where we value, appreciate, and understand one another.
Without respect, we can easily develop contempt and dislike for one another.
Love and respect are critical for a strong family.
The third building block we need for strong families:
Honor
Honor
1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
2 “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise),
3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”
τιμάω
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 87.8 τιμάω; δοξάζω
to attribute high status to someone by honoring—‘to honor, to respect.’
Respecting authority and boundaries.
Understanding the point of view of others.
Understanding the value of the family—and what it provides (resources, safety, security).
Encouragement.
Honor goes both ways.
10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.
The fourth building block we need for strong families:
Discipline
Discipline
παιδεύω
To train someone in accordance with proper rules of conduct and behavior—‘to discipline, to train,
Discipline provides the training and development to face life—spiritually, physically, socially, emotionally.
Families should be the primary source of learning about how to live life effectively, properly, and holistically.
Discipline DOES NOT provoke others to anger, shame, discouragement.
6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands,
7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
The fifth building block we need for strong families:
Instruction
Instruction
νουθετέω
To provide instruction as to correct behavior and belief—‘to instruct, to teach, instruction, teaching.’
6 Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
Conclusion
Love
Respect
Honor
Discipline
Instruction
Without these building blocks, families will struggle.
Families have the potential of being the best place for spiritual growth and development, encouragement, and spiritual/emotional health.