God has a calling and a life plan for every person. It is a primary task of every parent to help every child find that plan through productive and spiritual means. Jesus was a part of a community that worked together and shared responsibility for raising children. God’s primary place to develop character, values, and faith are in family life. It is there as with Jesus that the whole person is to grow physically, mentally, spiritually and socially.
Your family doesn’t have to be picture-perfect to be used by God. God’s grace and salvation are available to help you. God’s love can enter every home, and help us to grow. When God’s Son came to earth at Christmas, He came to a human family.
As we began a New Year I am calling for you to commit to stay and continue to grow in your family. Both your natural family and the family of God are important to the maturing process. The family is God's plan to prepare us to become the people He wants us to become.
IT TAKES A FAMILY
Luke 2:39-52
The task before every society is to mature its children and to help them find their destiny.
Godless homes produce a godless society and empty churches.
Jesus grew up in a community that shared responsibility for raising children.
Children need role models, and to know somebody in their life cares in addition to their parents.
I. Jesus Was Raised In a Normal Family with Its Share of Tension
At age 12, Jesus is between being a boy or a man.
And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. Luke 2:52 NIV
Pray for kids to mature mentally, physically, spiritually, and socially.
II. Family Tensions Prepare Us for God’s Purposes
A. The Tension of Identity
Children need an answer to the question of “Who am I?”
All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Matthew 11:27 NIV
At each developmental stage, Jesus had perfect knowledge appropriate to that stage.
His tension lay in the fact that he was fully God and fully human.
B. The Tension of Priority
Jesus’ commitment to His human family had to be in balance with his commitment to his heavenly Father.
Everyone has to deal with the tensions between duty to family and duty to our calling.
There are times when it’s right to say no to a ministry opportunity to tend to the needs of family.
There are times when it’s right to say no to family to tend to the needs of others.
C. The Tension of Maturity
Jesus was an unusual child like no else, but he was human.
Your family doesn’t have to be picture-perfect to be used by God.
Whatever your personal situation in 2009, appreciate, pray for, and help build families.
Both our natural and spiritual family has an important role.
God chose the family to prepare us to become the people God wants us to be.
