The ideal Christian home – Part 2

We saw in the first part of this series that the ideal Christian home is a place of the fear of God and a place of love. Aside this, such home is also a place of discipline, rest, understanding, trust, affection, fellowship and care.

One of the greatest blessings we can receive in this life is the love of a family, and the bonds that exist between its members must be sacred. It is no accident that the Bible is filled with passages that explain our relationship with God, comparing it to our relationship with our earthly father. Our families are intended to reflect God’s unconditional love. Husbands are called to love their wives as Christ loves His Church, and wives are called to devote themselves to their husbands, as the Church devotes itself to Christ. Emulating the love that exists between God and His Church in a family is not an easy feat, and we must strive for it.

Oftentimes, families struggle with emptiness, lack of communication and pains. These cannot be found in real Christian homes. Someone said; “if your house has a damaged foundation, it doesn’t matter how much sparkles you use, cracks will keep reappearing. In the same way, a family can’t succeed if you are not maintaining its foundation.”

A Christian family begins and ends with each member’s personal commitment to God. To get to where you want to be, you need to know your destination. No matter where you are now, whether single and dreaming of a family or a seasoned veteran of matrimony, keep your eyes turned to God’s love. That is the ideal. Once you have aligned yourself with God’s plan, God will take care of the rest.
The Attack Upon The Home: There are many influences at work, which seek to minimise or undermine the importance of home life. There are several well-defined lines of attack upon families.

The Assault Upon Marriage Relation: In a world of classical deception and sophistication, marriage has suffered terrible blows. The moral leper advocates that marriage be dissolved at will, not by mutual consent alone, but when either party to the contract desires its conclusion. The Church, in its different branches, stands as a unit against this iniquitous proposition. Remember what the Pharisees did. They came to Jesus and asked Him: “Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife?” Jesus said unto them, what did Moses command you? When they replied Jesus and said Moses permitted bill of divorcement, Jesus answered and said unto them that this was done due to the hardness of their heart (cf Mark 10:2-9). The Pharisees misinterpreted Moses just like many do today.
The Assault Upon Purity Of The Body — We are told by Paul that our bodies are temples of God and members of Christ and therefore they should be kept pure and clean (1Corinthians 3:16-17; 6:15-16). The modern salon, which destroys the purity of the body, is one of the most successful of all agencies for the demoralisation and destruction of the home. Once it has fastened its hold upon a man, the time he should spend with his family is spent in defiling his body in this place. The money that should be spent on clothing and feeding is squandered here.

Contact: mcndioceseofdline@yahoo.com, ekongetim@gmail.com; 08073138935