Where there is lawlessness, there is bound to be disorder, chaos and disunity. This is because laws are the set of rules that govern any organisation, country, religion or family. One of the major reasons Nigeria ranks among one of the most lawless states in the world is because many families have no laws.

The family is what produces the society and it stands to reason that a lawless family will inevitably produce a lawless society. Our questions to families, today, is; what are your family laws? What are the rules that govern relationship between husband and wife, parents and children, children and children and family’s relationship with others?

I have come across many families that have told me words like this; “we are modern and we believe in freedom.” Well, as a wise person once said: “The only place where there is complete freedom is in the grave.” Parents who decide to let their children run wild all in the name of modernity are digging early graves for them and destroying their posterity.

God is God of order, hence when He created man, He gave the first law; “but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat… “(Gen 2:17). I have had a cause to tell many people that the law God established in the garden was not meant to deprive man or cage him; rather, that restriction was placed there for his own good.

This is exactly how the laws of families ought to be. They are not created to the family to feel caged rather; they are for the good of that family. In many Chapters of Proverbs, Solomon admonished; “My son do not forget my law…my son, keep my commandments… he who keeps instructions is in the way of life…”

Today, family leaders, parents and guardians should sit and draw up certain rules that will govern the behaviour of family members. There must be acceptable and unacceptable behaviours and also consequences for these behaviours. Love you!

• Bishop Charles Ighele is the General Superintendent of Holy Spirit Mission, Lagos.