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A FAMILY PICTURE

Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity. (1 Timothy 5:1-2 NIV)

The message is very clear. The challenge for us perhaps is in this fragmented society, many of us do not have a proper picture of how a family should look like. How do we relate and regard to each others: to our fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters and children.

When God created Adam and Eve, He initiated families (Gen 1). He has the Blue Print /picture of a godly family. Did He explain and show the design in detail to Adam and Eve?

I would believe, since God has created them in His image, He has given them the abilities and capacities to be come His co-creator, He won't dictate them every single detail. Rather, He gives men and women rooms to explore and discover ways to build their own families. Isn't it challenging and more interesting?

God, nevertheless, will not just let men and women to be trapped on the games of trial and error. Throughout the history, He has also revealed His wisdom, including His Master Plan for marriage and family lives in the Bible. This design is like pieces of a puzzle scattered in the Bible. Some got a few pieces, putting them together and thought they have it all. The wise, however, will diligently search the Bible to get all the pieces to complete the picture. Pray that God will help us to get the whole design, not just a fragment, so that we can function properly as a family.

For this, first, we need to check on our own family: what family picture do we have? How do we regard and relate to one another?

Healthy families build healthy nations! Let's start with our own families and church families! (plt040814)

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