The Design Of The Family Reflects God's Nature

By Del Tackett

 It should not surprise us that we see the characteristics of God - order, unity and diversity - clearly stamped upon the various physical systems of the universe, from the solar system to the tiny atom and every thing in between.

 In the physical realm, they are easy to spot. Why do we fail to recognize them in the systems God created for the social realm? They are just as obvious. Look at the family. Do we see order, diversity and unity within its structure? Of course we do.

The family is an exquisitely crafted and orderly system: husband, wife, children. The husband and wife are bound in a deep relationship of intimacy. It is reflective of God's character. Even the ideas of authority and submission have their roots in the nature of God, where the Son submits to the authority of the Father. Yet the Son is equal to the Father and one with Him. So, too, in marriage. Authority and submission are divine attributes, but the world (no surprise here) paints them as ugly and repulsive.

One of the greatest privileges we have as parents is to pass on the truth of God to our children. Talking about the beauty and joy of marriage and the delight of having children is deeply important, but living it out is worth a whole lot more. 

So a husband and wife should openly talk about and express their love and affection for one another - no matter how much teenagers roll their eyes. Expressing pleasure in one another is a divine attribute: "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 17:5, NKJV). Not a bad thing to say publicly about each other - and often.

Telling our children that they are a blessing from the Lord is not only healthy for them and your relationship, but it also plants deep seeds of truth to help them fight off the constant negative messages from the world that having children is to be avoided at all costs.

Teaching our children God's truth is mandatory. But when we tie it back to its source, the nature of God, it is life-changing. When we talk about the family, we must not neglect to emphasize its reflection of God's character and nature. This binds the design and purpose of the family to the infinite and the transcendent rather than to the whimsical and selfish attempts of man to do with it as he pleases. The first brings joy and peace, the second brings pain and despair.