Posted by
LibbyTalks on Saturday, January 10, 2009 12:00:00 AM
Faith or family? Which does the Christian or religious man or woman put first? This is a dilema for many people. The question can arise in other areas as well: job first or family first? You have to make a living yet, where is your first love?
In the question of family or faith first....the bible taken as your authority exhorts you to put God first, even before yourself. God the Father, in Christianity requires total allegiance to Himself first and then promises He will give you love running over for you and your life: your family in Him.
But it's never easy. Pastors have it the hardest it seems. They have so much responsibility to their church and parishioners...where is the time for their family? Along comes the troubled "Preacher's Kid" stereotype, prevalent in many churches.
I know of a church in Eden Prairie, City Hill Fellowship. They have taken special care to make sure they devote time to their families. They share the preaching and take some of the pressure off the Pastor. They watch each other's backs so to speak. Delightful children in this church. Not a PK among them. And they have a great Junior High and High School youth program, as well as Sunday School for the little ones. They invest a lot of time in families and children in that church and it shows. They also invest a lot in their women's ministry. Lots of happy women in that church too! What is their secret. Putting God first, but also being very aware of the needs of family.
I don't believe it is an either or. I believe they must come together of equal importance. You can't really ignore or cheat your relationship with God or your family and do well at all. God invented families after all!
Here is a picture of the family I grew up in. My sister and two brothers. My mom raised us after the divorce. My father was never absentee, however. As he promised, he moved only one suburb away and saw us every weekend and holiday. My father is a wonderful man! So is my mom a terrific woman. She is fighting Alzheimer's now with all of her courage and faith.