God’s Family Promises … Talking as a Family
Article by Dr. Les Hollon, Pastor, Trinity Baptist Church
Families in America spend billions of dollars to communicate. We travel to see, touch and talk in person. We speed dial to talk with our mobile devices. We text to get and give quick information. We tweet to be concise.
What are we saying with all of these efforts? Well … a lot.
Bottom line, we are saying to each other that being understood and understanding is important to us. To be effective we need to talk through matters that are important to us … even when the matters are initially difficult to discuss.
Condensing the thickest and best books on family research reveals that the healthiest families are not those who avoid talking about difficult subjects. Instead it’s the families who can lovingly and respectfully talk through the difficulties that develop the strongest bonds.
Families who build from their strengths create the additional strength to work through any difficulties that show up. Families can then live with a confidence of trust … and not be shackled by fear of the un-discussed. Family members who trust each other are those who have the freedom to love without fear. Which is when family life becomes fun.
“God’s Family Promises” must be trusted enough for us to apply them if we are going to benefit from their truth. And talking with each other is essential if family members are to understand each other, support each other, and help each other to know God’s best for their lives.
Since we’re made in God’s image, we are called to live from our noble birthright. We can walk away from sinfulness and into the grace-filled life of being a member of God’s family … which is why Jesus, the Son of God, invited us to be his brothers and sisters (John 16). Jesus, our Savior, so desired us as family members that He paid for this invitation into family life with his own life, death, and resurrection.
I encourage you to talk through the family teachings of:
Luke 10:38-42 (as families are we doing what is most important?);
Matthew 21 (as families are we being true to what we say?);
Ephesians 6:1-4 (are we as children and parents honoring each other as in the Lord?).
Family life, is God’s gift to us, is also meant to be our gift back to God and for each other. Let’s trust God’s promises with such devotion that we succeed with each other and we help each family in our church succeed.
Pastor Les Hollon
As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’
“‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.
“Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.
“Which of the two did what his father wanted?”
“The first,” they answered.
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” - which is the first commandment with a promise - “that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
This article was written by Les Hollon, Pastor of Trinity Baptist Church. For more information about God and your place in His world, contact Dr. Hollon, click over to Trinity Baptist Church.
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