Understanding the family

Dear Reader, I count it a great privilege to bring God’s Word your way in this wonderful column. I want to let you know that God’s intervention for you this month, is a done deal. All through this month, via the Word of God, I will be sharing with you, Understanding The Family.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth … (Genesis 1:27-28).

No nation can be better than the health of the individual families that make up that nation, because the central unit of any nation and any people, tribe or race, even the smallest nation, is the family. It stands as a fundamental social group of a typical society.

Mother Theresa, the great saintly woman of God and founder of the Order of the Missionaries of Charity, when asked what the solution to world peace was, said, “Let every one go home and love their families.” She was literally saying that the chaos in the world, today, has its foundation in the way the family structure and values are being misunderstood and misused.
The Family Unit

The word “family” in the Longman’s Dictionary of Contemporary English means: a group of people who are closely related to each other, especially mother, father, and their children representing the nuclear family. There is also, however, the extended family set-up, which include aunts, uncles, grandparents, distant relations, etc.

The family unit can also be defined as two or more people who share common goals and values, have a long-term commitment to one another, a common ancestry, and usually reside in the same dwelling place, under one roof or live in the same house.

Another word for “family” from the Bible is “household” or “house of” as in Psalm 115:12. Speaking about God’s desire for the family circle, it says: … He will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron. Also, Genesis 18:19 says: For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him …

A household has much more than just husband, wife, and children, but can refer to all who live under that roof and authority of the householder or owner of the house. Such persons may include close relations, distant relations, in-laws, servants, housemaids and domestic staff (some people have their drivers, gardeners, security personnel, etc, living with them under the same roof, and treat them as members of their family).

The Marriage Relationship
Marriage is the legal union of a man and a woman as husband and wife. It is the foundation on which the lives and relationship of family members are initiated or built.

The Longman’s Dictionary defines marriage as “a relationship between two people, who are married or who have been joined together as husband and wife according to the law, custom, or church demands.”

Although having children is one of the blessings of marriage, marriage means much more than just having children or co-habiting with someone of the opposite sex. Marriage is actually a covenant, a fusion, a blending of a man and a woman in a lifelong, inseparable relationship. It is an agreement and commitment of two people before witnesses. It is a relational structure through which a man and a woman join as husband and wife, become one flesh, and together rule in earthly dominion.

God is the originator of the first marriage. In Genesis 2:18, the Bible says: And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

The first miracle ever that Jesus performed during His earthly ministry was at a marriage ceremony at Cana of Galilee, where He turned water into wine, thereby restoring the missing joy and excitement in that marriage (John 2:1-11).

Does your marriage seem to be joyless right now? Do not lose hope. God who did it at Cana, will do it again in your life, and will give you a miracle, because He is still a miracle worker! Expect a miracle! However, you must be ready to obey His instructions, like they did at the wedding in Cana, before their water was turned into wine.

God, as the Originator of marriage, is the Foundation for a successful marriage. You cannot enjoy success in your marriage except you accept Him through His Son Jesus Christ and become born again. If you will like to be born again now, please say this prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, I come to You today. I am a sinner. I cannot help myself. Forgive me of my sins and cleanse me with Your blood. Deliver me from sin and satan, to serve the living God. I believe You died for me and on the third day, You rose that I might be justified. I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Make me a child of God today. Thank You for accepting me into Your Kingdom”.