Biblical Principles for a Strong Family
By Dean Honeycutt
Mitchell County
Have you heard the expression the family that prays together stays together? This saying echoes the words of Joshua when he said to the families of Israel, “choose you this day who you will serve, as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.” I thank God for His promises to bless the righteous as they seek to serve the Lord. Psalm 1:1–3 “Blessed is the man That walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor standeth in the way of sinners, Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; And in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, That bringeth forth his fruit in his season; His leaf also shall not wither; And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. “
I would not say that training five children in the Honeycutt home was a cakewalk. I would not say that we were exempt from our share of challenges, however, I can say the Lord has blessed us and protected us. God has been so good to us and blessed us beyond measure.
Pam and I contribute blessedness to our commitment to following Jesus Christ and making that a priority in our lives. God has been so good to us. Like Job, if it were all taken away, we would still say the “Lord gave and the Lord has taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord.”
I would like to share a few things with you that might help you and your family. You can share these things with a family that is struggling and is seeking direction. We all have opportunities to minister to others. We are by no means perfect at parenting, and we make our share of mistakes. But there are some basic principles applied that will help your family.
First, start on the right foot. Determine early in marriage and family planning that your home will be ordered after God’s word. Make that a priority. Attend church faithfully. Your children will know what is important to you. If you put church attendance on the back burner and sports and other activities before church, your children will see that the Lord is second. Christ must have first place in your life. Parents fail children when we make other things more important than church attendance.
From the womb and beyond have times for reading bible stories with your children and times of prayer. Praying before meals is so important as you sit together as a family. Make prayer a priority and teach your children to pray and trust the Lord. Deuteronomy 6:6–8 “6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.”
Your children need Bible teaching at home. Sunday School is important, but it is your responsibility to train your children in the word of God at home. Pam does a great job at this. She writes Bible verses on sticky notes and hangs them on bathroom mirrors where our children can see them and read them. Again, what is important to you will become important to your children. The word of God is like a sword, and it is used to strengthen our walk with the Lord, keep us from temptation, and encourage us in times of trials. Psalm 119:11” Thy word have I hid in mine heart, That I might not sin against thee.”
Who will your child turn to in their darkest hour? They will turn and trust the One whom you have trusted in. They will see your faith in action, and they will trust the Lord. Proverbs 3:5–6 “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; And lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and He shall direct thy paths.”
Last, there will be a time when the Holy Spirit moves in your child and begins to draw them to faith in Christ. What a blessing it is to lead your child to faith in Jesus Christ and see them mature in their faith. You have given them the foundation and pointed them in the right direction. You have obeyed the Lord and trusted Him. It has not been easy, but it has been worth it. For the glory of God and the family of faith. Praise the Lord God is so good.
God bless your family,
Pastor Dean Honeycutt
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Pastor Dean Honeycutt shepherds Snow Hill Baptist Church in Bakersville, NC. He may be reached at 828-385-0213, snowhillbaptist@gmail.com, or visit their website at www.snowhillbaptist.com.
You can read more good Christian news from Dean HERE.
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