This week’s topic: The Importance Of Family
Unity in the family of God is of utmost importance to our Heavenly Father. His heart’s desire is that we be one; love each other, encourage each other, fellowship and that we come to each other’s aid. By doing these things, we become a stronger, more powerful entity in this earth realm. Only through unity can we really rule, reign, and advance in the will of God.
One thing that is intimately connected to this idea of unity is that, as the minister and his family go, so goes the church. The minister and his family should be a replica of the Body of Christ, with Jesus as the head and all of us as family members in the Body of Christ. Spiritually speaking, if the pastor does not have his life together it is going to show up in his ministry. He cannot suppress it. It is going to leak out and his congregation is going to become a reflection of whatever he really is.
When there is dissension, hard feelings, envy, selfishness, a struggle for power and all other manner of evil within the Christian family, God cannot operate as He would like to in that family – congregation. God cannot manifest His works through a Body that is filled with garbage! The flow of His Word is thwarted, and many lives are lost to sin, sickness, and poverty – lives controlled Satan.
Recently I dealt with ministers, stalwart men in the things of God, who have taken a misstep and faltered in their outward progress. The fact that these ministers faltered has in turn, adversely affected people in their respective churches. Ministers of the Gospel cannot afford to play games, yet I know too many ministers who are doing just that.
Ministers especially have a tremendous responsibility to walk by the Word, not by what the world allows. They represent God and Jesus and have a mandate from God to be what they preach. Christians ought to be so transparent that the world can look right through them! Too many ministers are playing roles much like an actor. These preachers need to realize that they are not performing a movie screen test. They are in the real world!
Part of living in the real world is being cognizant of the fact that all of us – ministers and laypeople alike – are supposed to be examples to the world on how to live. We are supposed to let our light shine before men (Matthew 5:16). The Body of Christ is a model for how our individual families should operate. The Christian family should set the standard for families in general. The lifestyle of our families should not mimic the world, but rather the Family of God.
Likewise, no book other than the Bible can adequately instruct man or woman how to be a good spouse or a good parent. For the most part, people are just jumping into life not knowing if they will sink or swim. Unfortunately, too many people sink! But Christians, you do not have to sink! Christians, you do not have to follow the ways of the world because we have the Word of God!
Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that no temptation has overtaken us except such as is common to man. Nearly all of us have lived in families. Chances are that most of us will marry and raise families of our own. And, all of us will certainly be tempted.
I encourage all Christians to take a personal assessment of your own homes and make the necessary changes – now!
Scripture Of The Day: “Children’s children are the crown of old men, And the glory of children is their father.” – Proverbs 17:6 (NKJV)
Dr. Frederick K.C. Price is the founder and pastor of Crenshaw Christian Center West in Los Angeles and CCC East in Manhattan. To obtain more information about his ministry, please call (800) 927-3436 or visithttp://www.faithdome.org.
Source: Streaming Faith
