Family

             That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. (Genesis 2:24)

The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” (Genesis 2:18)

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (Genesis 1:28)

Scripture includes instructions for the major sorts of relationships, including the condemnation of some and warnings about others. But in today’s passages, God establishes several specific relationships: God/man, marriage, family, and rulership over the animals. There are lots of examples of God guiding people with regard to other relationships (e.g. master/slave and ruler/nation) but these four, He establishes.

It should not surprise us that these are relationships that are under attack or that seem to be being turned upside down and inside out.  We see this as we look at and listen to the world, but our own families are safe from that, aren’t they? They may be, but how many marriages and ministries have been ruined because of infidelity? How many couples are staying together, but not loving one another? How often do we find ourselves at odds with family members? How often do we allow careers or ministries to get in the way of our marriages or families? We may say that we’re doing something for our marriages or children, but while that may have been true somewhere along the line, is it now? And do we have any idea how to discern when we’ve stepped over the line? Do we routinely evaluate it?

And when we decide for the thousandth time this week that we are going to walk in obedience to Christ, and for the one thousand tenth time, we find our loved ones getting on our last nerves, do we ask ourselves if we’re in a battle?

Our families and our loved ones are not only the target, they are also sometimes the weapon. And when we find that this is true, we need to run to God.