21/08/2025
THE RENEWED FAMILY
The family is the most important single factor in the molding of human beings. It can either make or mar him/her. The first institution God founded was the family which takes its roots from marriage. This is the '"factory" where human beings are prepared to enter the society. This makes it very important (11Tim. 1:5).
The family, in our modern day, is under serious siege spiritually, morally and socially. All odds are against the family system as seen from the lifestyles being projected and bandied all around on the streets, in the media, political campaigns and conferences. Worst of it is that, the evil of tearing down the traditional and biblical family values has crept into the church from the back doors. Even in the church and Christendom, families are bleeding as marital and family relationships are being severed sorely because of negligence of biblical injunctions.
The essence of our focus on RENEWED FAMILY in this year’s Family Week is the need to call all and sundry to the need to go back to the original intent of God for the family. It is a call to reawaken love, forgiveness, commitment, sacrifice and kingdom values in the family.
The renewed family is the family where godly and traditional family values are revived, avoiding being stuck in the pervading confusion in the society today. The evils of divorce, adultery, pre-marital s*x, homos*xuality and all the damnable practices are being glorified today with many confusing voices. For us, as believers, we are not confused because we have our guide-book, the Bible and the Holy Spirit to guide and guard us in our family relationships and decisions.
A Christian family which is renewed is where we find these attributes:
- Parents are bound together by Christian Love.
- Children are welcome and scripturally instructed
- The Lord Jesus Christ is the head
- Parents and children gather daily for family worship (Gen. 18:19, Job 1:1-5).
- There are God-fearing father, God-fearing mother and God-fearing children.
It becomes very pertinent for us as believers to uphold biblical and godly values as the Christian family is a microcosm of the church and the kingdom. The family should reflect the glory, beauty and nature of God. Anything short of that is an aberration and disease that needs to be healed. That is the reason for the call for renewal. Every believer should strive and fight off the devil, whose major preoccupation is to derail and destroy all that is good, godly and profitable. We must take responsibilities over the welfare and overall wellbeing of our family, understanding it as divine assignment.
My prayer is that our families will reflect the glory of God and fulfill their God-ordained destinies in Jesus name.
- Rev. Innocent Alenkhe