The Restoration of Family

Would you say that your family is solid; And by solid, I mean, grounded; And by grounded, I mean, focused on what’s most important in life?  Does the future of your family depend on you or someone else?  Before we embark on this broad and nuanced topic of life, we must first start from a basic definition and viewpoint of “family”.  Let me explain my simplistic worldview as it currently stands.  “Family is Father, Mother, Son, and Daughter, for the purpose of human flourishing as designed by God, for His glory.”  I’m sure that there are those of you who are reading this definition and already finding issues with how it relates to your worldview.  While this may be true, my purpose of this post is to share Biblical Standards as they relate to God’s design of the family (Irreplaceable – Documentary).

I believe that these standards that I’m about to share are possible for any family type, regardless of your position in life (as it relates to God’s design).  Let me explain.  If we want to get God’s perspective and plan for family, we have to go all the way back to the first husband and wife.  Adam and Eve were the first humans to inhabit this planet we call home.  God’s command to them was, “Be fruitful and multiply“, and so they did.  Adam and Eve’s firstborn was Cain, followed by Abel and then years later, they had Seth.  Jewish historian, Josephus, states that, “The number of Adam’s children, as says the old tradition, was thirty-three sons and twenty-three daughters.”  Now our canonized Bible does not give the exact number, nor does it gives us the names of Adam and Eve’s additional children.  The Bible however does tell us that Adam “named his wife Eve, because she would be the mother of all who live.”  One foundational block of authority is to accept the fact that Eve was indeed the “mother” of all human beings.

Let’s take a deeper look into God’s design for family.  Below is a series from Focus on the Family, called the Family Project.  I have found these lessons to be insightful and a blessing to anyone who desires to strengthen their Biblical worldview on family.  Please take the time to watch each of these videos and go through the Participant’s Guide.

1. God’s Design – What defines my life? What’s real?  Where do we come from?  Where are we going?  (Click for Video Lesson  001 – You Are Here)
2. God Created Mankind – Why did God create humans?  How are people “image-bearers” of God?  What role do I play in God’s design?  (Click for Video Lesson  002 – Let Us Make Man)
3. Loneliness Is NOT Part of God’s Design – Have you ever felt alone?  How does loneliness affect you?  Do you find yourself longing for friendships?  (Click for Video Lesson  003 – It Is Not Good To Be Alone: How Family Completes The Imago Dei)
4. Marriage is Critical to God’s Design – What’s the point of marriage?  Do I have to be married to fulfill God’s design?  What if my marriage is broken, do I continue in that marriage or do I get a divorce?  (Click for Video Lesson  004 – For This Reason)
5. Death Enters Mankind – Was sin part of God’s design?  Why did God command Adam and Eve to not eat of the fruit from the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil?  (Click for Video Lesson  005 – The Man Has Now Become Like One Of Us)
6. Family is Central for Human Flourishing – Is family really that big of a deal?  Do families help the community they are in or do they create a burden on the whole?  (Click for Video Lesson  006 – What God Has Joined Together)
7. Mom, God’s Design – How does a mom play an important role in God’s plan?  What gifts and abilities do mothers bring to our family?  (Click for Video Lesson  007 – Mothers As Image-Bearers)
8. Dad, God’s Design – Do you know your father loves you?  What assurances do you have of his love?  Who is the leader of your family?  (Click for Video Lesson  008 – Fathers As Image-Bearers)
9. Kids, God’s Design – What benefits can a child bring to the family?  Are children seen as beautiful gifts or tiring burdens?  Do children change you?  If so, how and in what ways?  (Click for Video Lesson  009 – Children As Image-Bearers)
10. The Family Enemy – Who is your family’s enemy?  What forces does this enemy deploy?  How does a family combat the enemy?  (Click for Video Lesson  010 – The Enemy)
11. Family Values – Are your family values worth dying for?  What weapons are used to protect your family?  Do you have hope for your family?  What claims most of your family’s time?  (Click for Video Lesson  011 – The Great Mystery And Destiny)
12. Family Definitions – What is your definition of family?  Is there such a thing as a “perfect family”?  How does your family deal with conflict?  Who are some happy and healthy role models for family?  Does culture limit what God defines for your family?  (Click for Video Lesson  012 – My Imperfect Family)

The above videos will help you answer these questions in what I believe is a God-Ordained way.  While these are tools given by God for our family, they are not the solution to our struggles.  There is no such thing as a “silver bullet” answer that provides sustainable repair to your family relationships.  We can live in the past and complain about how broken our homes were when we grew up or we can remember the good and build upon that.  We can provide our children with the “best” resources and opportunities to succeed in this materialistic world (Thank you Madonna!), or we can look to God’s design for what He defines as a successful life.  Who do you serve; is it self or is it others?  Are those acts of service benefiting a physical or spiritual need?  How do you take care of your family?  I used to think that having a great paying job and having the right environment was the best way to raise a family, but now I’ve learned that family isn’t defined by material goods, but rather by what God has been showing us since the beginning of time.  We are image-bearers of God, not for His entertainment, but because of His creative love in the Trinity (The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit).  The Godhead is family and He has created and invited us to join in this beautiful mystery.  Are you aware of this love God has for you and your family?  If not, when will you take the time to look and learn in how God is restoring you to His family?  My prayer is that you will find this as encouragement to find God’s design and to take the strides towards a God-honoring family worldview.  May God bless our efforts.

Please contact me for some tools of family restoration; I’m sure you will be glad you did!