Families

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them. Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.  – Colossians 3.18-21

Since we looked at this passage in great detail in Ephesians there is not much more to say here. I think the key here is that God has a diving plan for how families should work. For a good part of western history the western world agreed.

Wives submit to your husbands. Husbands love your wives. Children obey your parents. Fathers don’t discourage your children by provoking them.

But things have diverged. ‘Family’ is seen totally differently now. As a new ad puts it - ‘While what it means to be family hasn't changed, what a family looks like has.’

Now I am not going to doubt that the modern ideas of family are composed of people who care about each other. The truth is that we don’t have to concern ourselves with the modern concept of family in all its varied definitions.

But we do need to be concerned about our Christian, Bible based, and Christ centred homes. No matter what happens anywhere else that description is not going to change.

So let’s stick to God’s plan for our families while we stand for and preach righteousness.