Those two shows were popular when my kids were growing up. In 7th Heaven we got to see the Camden family go through various challenges of family life, although each member had the communication skills and emotional awareness of trained therapists.
The Simpsons, on the other hand were pretty messed up, going from one disaster to another thanks to Bart and Homer. Lisa was the conscience and Marge the rudder. My favorite Homer line is still, “Just because I don’t care doesn’t mean I don’t understand.”
Every family has incredible potential to be a place of blessing. But, every family faces challenges and every family needs occasions of reset and repair.
A happy family is but an earlier heaven.
– George Bernard Shaw
This Sunday at the Gathering Church we will do a family reset by looking at a great passage, Ephesians 4:29-5:2.
The Bible is audacious enough to say that the love of Christ is so powerful that it can transform and shape our families. And the Bible is honest enough to recognize the challenges.
We are not to waste a second feeling bad and guilty about not having perfect families. That would be like living as if Christ had not died and set us free.
What is your vision for your family?
How do we experience the love of Christ in our families?
How can we grow a family based on grace and not performance?
If we are parents, how can we relax about our families and trust the work of Christ in our children?
My goal this Sunday is to encourage us all in loving and enjoying our families – and also in accepting our families.
Learning to do good things now in our families will pay off forever.
Let’s see what Christ can do.
Mark