children

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The Impact that a Godly Marriage has in a Godless Society

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In the times we live in, we are seeing more and more how the different institutions that used to hold our culture are being shaken and changed. In this case, the family, that divine and sacred institution that God created since the beginning of times, is currently being attacked from different fronts such as the media, Hollywood, politicians, celebrities, and others.

While back in the days’ songs used to have love and romance between the frame of marriage, nowadays it is totally different. For instance, as I am writing these lines, the #1 song here in Canada according to Spotify is “Despacito”, which by the way doesn’t have a bit of romance in it.

A study conducted by George Barna last year showed that only 53% of millennials (those born between 1977 and 1994) said that family makes up “a lot” of their identity (while 76% of elders, 64% of gen-xers, and 61% of boomers believes that family takes a vital part of their identity) 1. I can hardly imagine what will happen with the next generation (generation Z) if we don’t revert these numbers. This is just frightening.

As the Church we are here to make an impact in the world, not to pass unnoticed by the world.Click To Tweet

The truth is that as the Church we are here to make an impact in the world, not to pass unnoticed by the world. And I believe that marriage and family are the battlegrounds where we need to fight the good fight. As a matter of fact, God is extremely concerned about our marriages and families. Why? Not only because He loves us endlessly but also because our marriages are a prophetic and powerful symbol of the union between Christ and the Church (Ephesians 5:22-33) and our relationship with our children is an image of His fatherhood (Ephesians 6:1-3).

Even more, in Greek the word “family” is patria, which is the same word we use in Spanish for “homeland”. I believe that our families should be the place where we want and long to be able to find peace, to laugh and cry with confidence, and where we can give and receive love.

If your family is not in this place yet, I invite you to ask the Holy Spirit to come and dwell in your house bringing his peace (Luke 10:5). Invite Jesus to enter your home and then listen to his tender voice announcing to you: “Today salvation has come to this house.” (Luke 19:9)

Notes:

  1. Forming Family Values in a Digital Age. © Barna Group, 2017 ↩
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The Impact that Parents have on their Children

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I believe that children are the greatest gift God can give to a marriage.

In Psalm 127:3, Solomon calls children a heritage, an inheritance, a gift, and a reward from the Lord. Solomon’s father, King David, was someone who knew first hand the joys and challenges that comes with parenthood. Most scholars agree that David had 20 children during his lifetime. Even though he had to face many problems with some of his sons (Amnon, Absalom, and Adonijah), and despite the mistakes he made as a father, in 1 Chronicles 22 David recognized the importance of raising his children according to the Word of God. After God revealed to David that his son Solomon and not he would build the temple of Jerusalem, which by the way was David’s most deep desire, David shows us the path that we as parents should follow: blessing our children and instructing them to walk with God.

Godly parents bless their children and instruct them to walk with God.Click To Tweet

In verses 11 to 13, David prays for his son Solomon saying:

Now, my son, the Lord be with you, and may you have success and build the house of the Lord your God, as he said you would. May the Lord give you discretion and understanding…. so that you may keep the Law of the Lord YOUR God… Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged.

Even though we can not control how our children will be when they reach the doors of their adulthood, we can and should train them in the light of the Word of God, praying for them and with them, and shaping their lives through our example. God has given us a great reward that comes with a great responsibility. Parenting is not easy, but it is without a doubt the most enjoyable and pleasant job we can do.

Returning to Psalm 127, Solomon presents to us an image of our children. He says that they are like arrows and that through them we extend ourselves in life. They will do what we could not do. In this month that we have talked about impact, I believe that the greatest impact we can leave on this earth is the impact we have on our children. Will you pray for them and with them today?