OCTOBER 8 "DYNAMICS OF A HEALTHY FAMILY"

 It has been said, "Constructions workers build houses, families build homes". Paul may not have had a family, but he has definitely tapped into "the mind of Christ" for the family, here in his epistle to the Colossians. It just goes to show, that God can give us wisdom and insight we need to navigate through life properly and we do not always need experience to have wisdom & insight. Paul gives us great wisdom and insight into the 4 dynamics of a successful family. Not in any order of priority, but he starts with wives being submitted to their husbands, husbands not to be harsh with their wives, children to be obedient to their parents and parents not exasperating their children unto anger (as we often do). Turmoil in a home is when one or worse, all of these elements are out of place. How often parents are fighting and frustrated because the kids are misbehaving. How often the children listen to the mom and dad go out at it because the wife is bent on leading and having her way. How often the children watch dad treat mom horribly and how often parents over step their place and enrage their kids. Unfortunately, I have just described the average home in America. Home is not a place the family is longing to be anymore, it is the last place they want to be. The dinner table at 6pm is empty because nobody wants to be there. Teenagers want to be home as little as possible, dad wants to stay at the office as late as he can to avoid going home and having to deal with a contentious wife. The wife is looking to get out of the house because she's tired of being bullied by her husband. Children have been enraged and are bitter towards their parents. Is this really the idea God had when He thought about "The Family". If we would simply follow these 4 dynamics that Paul lays down for us to follow, inspired by God himself, the family could begin to thrive, once again! The home could be a place of blessing, a sanctuary to come in, from the madness outside. When we would prefer to be at work, or anywhere else besides home, we have to face the facts, that we have failed in "building our home". Proverbs admonishes us, "the wise woman builds her home, the foolish one tares it down". The women does have a lot of influence in the home, but it would not be honest to say, that it all rests on her shoulders. According to Paul, according to God, it's a team effort, are you doing your part?