Family: A divine concept

I teach a weekly class on Monday afternoons at a transitional shelter for veterans overcoming addiction(s). The class is called Family Issues and we mainly talk about dysfunctional families and how the cycles and patterns of our families repeat through the generations (generational curses) and what can be done to change the pattern.

We've spent a good amount of time talking about dysfunctional families in the Bible but this past Monday we talked about the concept of family.

Starting in Genesis (1:28) we are instructed to make families, "go forth and multiply." This is in a book that has several stories about families and was written (first aurally passed down) for families to read together. In some places the Bible is even still read by families...what a concept that is...

In the Bible the family is a representation of the community. When a family fails the community fails (Israelites as a prime example, or Eli's sons). We see this in our society. We have weak families= weak communities, weak morals, etc. Families, and the larger community, promote growth and strength.

Deuteronomy 29:18 tells us to "make sure there isn't a man or woman among your families or tribes who turns away from the LORD our God" Basically there were consequences when families did not make God worship their primary focus. Family is something more than the "basic unit of society" or a household unit, but is a divine concept made to worship God and to affect change for the better.

Family is not a manmade concept. It originates from the mind of God. God chooses to bless families, not man. God often refers to Christ and the Church as a family (bridegroom, Father-Son, etc).

The Bible, inspired by God, talks loads about relationships and about inheritance. Family patterns were so important that the new testament begins with a family tree of Jesus' line. The old testament ends with instruction for children and parents to love each other. Jesus is God's "only begotten son." When Jesus is dying on the cross he tells John to take care of his mother (John 19:27).

The Bible also talks about the importance of spiritual family. "My mother and my brothers are those people who hear and obey God's word" (Luke 8:20). Spiritual parents and spiritual family look different for different people just as the biological family does.

In a day and age where family values aren't really values at all, where culture is raising even our "Christian" children, where pastors and preachers don't value marriage, or aren't home to spend time with their children, where we divorce just as much inside the Church as outside of the Church, we need to realize that in order to faithfully practice our beliefs we need to reevaluate our notions of family.