Elevate: Helping the Family Rise Above the Culture

by Dexter Guin

Throughout the Bible, various writers describe the home and family as a precious gift from the Lord. The Bible speaks often about both marriage and the home. In the New Testament (Ephesians 5:23-33), we learn marriage is an example of the believer's relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ. Psalm 127:3 says “children are an heritage of the Lord.” On a number of occasions, the Bible provides clear instructions to help couples thrive in the unique relationship of marriage, with a plan for establishing a godly, successful home.

The home has been compared to Heaven, providing a small glimpse of what Heaven will be. Our homes should be the most desirable places on earth, the place where we long to be at the end of the day. Our homes should make every member of the family feel safe, secure, and loved. They should be a sanctuary from the world and the devil, a place where God is not only exalted but is also known by all and allowed to be the head of the family.

Because God places such a premium on marriage and the home, it is no surprise that no other institution on earth comes under attack more than the home. If Satan can destroy or distort the home, he will eliminate one of the greatest tools the Lord has given us in our fight against “the wiles of the devil.” The Bible describes the home as a man and a woman coming together in the sight of God in holy matrimony to raise a family that brings glory to God. It is important to understand that a couple living together without marriage is not equivalent to a biblical marriage or home. This practice should never be accepted or condoned by the church. In contrast, we should help families elevate, to rise above the attacks and distortions of the culture.

Marriage and the home are sacred institutions established by God Himself (Genesis 2:24), and must be protected at all costs. No other entity on earth can accomplish what the home can accomplish. The home provides the foundational training ground for children, the place they learn to become godly adults (Deuteronomy 11:18-22). Parents are instructed to bring their children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). This will not happen at school (even Christian school), at sports events, or even at church (as important as it is). Biblical instruction should take place in the home.

We are losing far too many homes among Christians today. According to many studies, divorce rates are comparable inside and outside the church. What is the answer? The following suggestions may seem elementary, but they still work.

• Keep family devotional time a priority. It is crucial to bring our entire family before the Lord on a regular basis.
  

• Your family activities should revolve around the Word of God and His Church. Nothing is more important for your family than prayer time, the Word, and being faithful to church—nothing!
  

• Make your personal prayer and devotional time a priority. Be sure your personal walk with God is where it should be. Collective prayer and Bible reading with the family are important, but they should never replace your private personal time with the Lord.
  

• Be a man or woman of integrity; do what is right before God and your family. If your credibility is destroyed before your family, it is very difficult to lead or influence them concerning the things of God.
  

• Keep marital vows sacred. In a world filled with infidelity, immorality, and behavior that makes a mockery of the traditional marriage—one man and one woman for life—honor God by honoring the one you vowed to cherish. Love your spouse and be faithful “until death do you part.”
  

Enjoy and protect the family the Lord has given you, and count them as one of life’s greatest blessings.

About the Writer: Dexter Guin pastors Woodmen Road Free Will Baptist Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Learn more: www.woodmenroadfwb.com.