Family Is Forever First

Your family is your family no matter what. No matter how many times you say I love you, no matter how many times you say thank you, no matter how far away you might be from each other. Family is family and nothing can change that. Family is something that we can never take for granted. God has placed you in your family because they are the people that are meant to gather around you in every situation you face, they are the people that are going to support you in every decision that you make, they are the people that are going to love you unconditionally. Your mom is your mom because she is the one that you can always go to when you need advice, your dad is your dad because he can give you the strength that you need every day, your sister is your sister because she is the one that is going to keep your secrets forever and ever, your brother is your brother because he is the one that is going to be your protector and push away anyone or anything that comes against you.

The best family member that wants to be in the center of all families is The Creator of every family in the entire world, God. The coolest thing is that in each member of your family you can see a very distinct trait of God. If you think about it, there are a countless amount of different families throughout the entire Bible. Starting in Genesis 4 we hear of Cain and Able, the sons of Adam and Eve. Early in Exodus 2, the daughter of the Pharaoh finds Moses floating in the river and adopts him as her own, creating another family. In Nehemiah 7 alone we read of thirty-eight different Israelite families that return from exile. The families aren't just in the Old Testament though. What I would argue is the most well-known family is the family of Mary and Joseph and eventually Jesus Himself. But there is also the family of Timothy, whose mother was a follower of Christ but his father was not.

Look at it this way:

Mother- The mother in every family is often the caretaker. She is the one that every member of the family can go to and talk to about any and all subjects. Her ears are always open and ready to listen. Much like her arms that are always open wide ready to embrace you in a hug. Proverbs 31:10-31 continues to outline the image of the perfect bride and the virtuous woman in the form of a Hebrew acrostic poem. Right off the bat, it says that "she is a woman of strength and mighty valor! She is full of wealth and wisdom..." This could not be truer. My mom somehow always knows exactly what to say and do in every situation. The word strength really hits home. It is truly incredible how even when a mom might be hurting or broken, they are still able to be there and comfort those around them. Even when she might be so scared of the future she is still able to reassure the other members of the family that everything is going to be ok. When mothers are feeling alone they still have a strong grip on the fact that no one is ever truly alone because God is always with them no matter where they are or where they are going. Mothers are incredible. My dad, my sister, and I are so astonishingly blessed to have a mother that is the spitting image of the Proverbs 31:10 bride.

Father- The father of the family is often looked at as the protector and the provider. The one that isn't scared of anything. He is the one that makes sure there is food on the table at night and that there are clothes on your back during the day. Most importantly though, they are the ones that the children can look up to in order to see an accurate representation of our Heavenly Father. With that being said our fathers are the ones who teach us what is wrong and what is right. In Ephesians 6:4 the role of a father is clear and to the point. It reads, "Fathers, don't exasperate your children, but raise them up with loving discipline and council that brings the revolution of our Lord." In other words, fathers are supposed to take into account the different levels of knowledge in each of their children has and treat each of them according to that. No father should ever bring torment or suffering to his child but instead peace and comfort in every single time, not just a time of need. Much like our Heavenly Father does for us.

Children- From the very first time that God gave Moses the commandments, the children are called to respect and honor our parents. While this is very important, we can't allow those that are older to us stop us from pursuing what we are called to pursue. I have many favorite verses in the Bible, but my absolute all-time favorite verse is 1 Timothy 4:12. This is the verse that in the past year I have placed at the center of everything I do and every and all the goals that I am working towards. This verse emboldens us to, "[not] be intimidated by those older than you," but instead, "simply be the example they need to see by being faithful and true in all that you do." It tells us that we need to be the family member that "Speaks truth and live a life of purity and authentic love as you remain strong in your faith." I don't know how anyone could ever read that and not see the importance and power of the children and youth. The children of the families are the ones that are able to convince the entire church to jump around and dance during a praise song without saying a single word. Often times I believe that everyone disregards the power that children hold. The children are the ones that are going to continue the family on for another generation. With that being said, why wouldn't we all want to pour into the generation the that is to come. Now children, youth, teens, young adults, we have to go after what we want no matter what lies might be coming at us. We all have a purpose here on this earth and we can't allow anything to stop us from accomplishing all that our Heavenly Father has called us to. There might be some decisions that stare you in the face and the decision that you make might not be fully supported or make complete sense to your parents, but if God is calling you to go somewhere or do something we can't disregard that and move on.

Bottom line:

Your family is your family regardless.

The structure of every family is structured precisely how God intended it to be.

No matter what happens each member of your family is going to have your back and you will have theirs in the same way.

ALWAYS MEANS ETERNALLY. ETERNALLY MEANS FOREVER.

Prayer:

Lord. You are such an incredible Father. I thank you for every single member of my family. I pray that you would be invited into the center of every single family. I thank you that you will lead every member of each family to complete success in all that you have called them to. I thank you for all the beautiful children that you are raising up. You are truly an amazing God and I love you so much. Thank you for entirely everything you have done and will do for us. Amen