God’s Family Plan
INTRODUCTION
Today, of all the battles raging in the world, the battle against the family is one of the greatest! However, most Christian families don't seem to have a clue as to what God's biblical family model was, or that there even is a biblical family plan model. In this Series, many will discover to their amazement, that God’s family plan is far from what they thought and thereby missing some of the best of life there is!
There are many books that focus on husband/wife relationships or how to raise young children. But I don’t know of any that address or know about God’s family plan with adult sons and daughters. To not know this end of God’s Family Plan, is to NOT know how to instruct sons and daughters for their future when they’re younger, much less when they’re older.
It’s never too late.
When reading this, some of you might feel it is too late and wish you had known this long before. But it is never too late.
One, your adult sons and daughters might be responsive to it now, especially if they believe the Bible to be true.
Two, biblically there is no time that we are not to instruct our sons and daughters.
If our sons or daughters tend not to listen to us now, we need to make sure it is not because we were not a good example. If not we would need to first make amends and be the example God would have us be now.
Then we should pray and with love begin to work at integrating God’s family plan, starting with ourself. As the saying goes - better late than never.
Three, Deuteronomy 4 even tells parents “to teach their children’s children.”
It is our prayer that every father, mother, son and daughter will discover God's beautifully designed family plan for you and your family, regardless of age or where you and your family are at the present.
It is never too late for the family that loves God and believes in the bible to start now the best they can to following God's family plan! It is never too late for any who love the Lord to obey the Lord in everything God’s Word declares.
God’s Family Plan is not of this world
You will discover that God’s Family Plan is for sure not of this world as you read about it. Therefore, BEFORE you read God’s Family Plan - one thing will be necessary for you to do. You must believe and really memorize one verse to be ready to quote to yourself as you read God’s Family Plan. And don’t forget it (Rom. 12:2):
"Do NOT copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person [and new family] by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you [and your family], which is good and pleasing and perfect."
The “customs of this world” are always wrong and never to be followed according to this verse, unless the custom is biblical, and then it would not be of this world.
We must start with this presupposition:
God created the world and the family institution. Therefore, He alone knows best how you and every member in your family should live.
We must start by humbly confessing that what WE think is best, may not be best at all. Otherwise, we really worship ourselves - our own ideas and understanding, instead of what God thinks and instructs in His Word for my family and me.
God said (Isa. 55:8):
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
(Prov. 3:5):
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and then He will direct your path.
Do you feel like you are open to do or change whatever you have thought or done even if it’s been all your life. How proud we would be if we think God would not love us to lead us in “what would promise to be the best in this life as well as the life to come” (1Tim. 4:8). I think this should always be our attitude. If this is your attitude, I would like to ask you to pray with me the following:
Yes Lord, I’m willing now to follow whatever is Your family plan according to Your Word, as you give me grace to understand and Your strength to carry it out. And yes, I’m willing to continually be transformed into the person You want me to be by changing the way I think - so I can learn to know Your will for me, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Thank you, Lord. I pray in Jesus Name, Amen.
As you will see, every part of God’s Family Plan is based entirely on Scripture. But your flesh will still question or even oppose it - because it is so foreign to our unbiblical world culture and sadly, even much Christian culture.
Remember, your flesh, your natural mind and reasoning WILL ALWAYS resist God’s Word as Galatians 5:17 declares. When your flesh rears up to reject God’s biblical family plan, that’s when you will need to always quote to yourself Romans 12:2. This verse in Romans 12:2 is the Spirit’s only sword to give you victory, as Ephesians 6:17 says, “the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God!”
Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Rom. 12:2