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[Jesus said] "But those who hear my words and do not put them into
practice are like a man who built a house on the ground without a
foundation" (Luke 6:49 TNIV).
If a brick house is beginning to crack, it's useless to reset the
bricks until the foundation is repaired. And so it is with the family,
if selfishness and immaturity are at the helm of that family. If
husband and wife are fighting, or the children are rebellious, the
foundation has got to be repaired. Before there can be a cure for the
family problems, the mom and the dad in that home have to be solid or
repaired.
Do you have a strong Christian system of values in your home? I'm not
talking about "family values" or "old fashioned values," but values
shaped by the teaching, character, and compassion of Christ!
Is each member mature and unselfish, or are they immature and selfish?
Remember what Paul said about having the attitude or mind of Christ?
Examine the foundational values of your family.
In your relationships with one another, have the same attitude of mind
Christ Jesus had:
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God
something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself
nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human
likeness. And being found in appearance as a human being, he
humbled himself by becoming obedient to death -- even death on a
cross! (Philippians 2:5-8 TNIV)
There's no problem too big to overcome in a family if the foundation of
personal integrity is found in mom and dad ... an integrity built on
the character of Jesus that models unselfishness, sacrifice, and
servanthood.
Builders can make an unstable house look classy ... for awhile. But
eventually a house without a strong foundation is going to fall. So
let's make life work a little better today -- examine the foundational
values of your family and bring them into line with Jesus. Enjoy your Holiday weekend family!! Love Thomas.
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