The Daily Fountain Daily Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 15 November 2019 – Caring For The Family
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TOPIC: Caring For The Family
READ: 1 Timothy 5:8-16 (NKJV)
8 But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
9 Do not let a widow under sixty years old be taken into the number, and not unless she has been the wife of one man,
10 well reported for good works: if she has brought up children, if she has lodged strangers, if she has washed the saints’ feet, if she has relieved the afflicted, if she has diligently followed every good work.
11 But refuse the younger widows; for when they have begun to grow wanton against Christ, they desire to marry,
12 having condemnation because they have cast off their first faith.
13 And besides they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only idle but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not.
14 Therefore I desire that the younger widows marry, bear children, manage the house, give no opportunity to the adversary to speak reproachfully.
15 For some have already turned aside after Satan.
16 If any believing man or woman has widows, let them relieve them, and do not let the church be burdened, that it may relieve those who are really widows.
THE MESSAGE:
The counsel of Apostle Paul to the young Timothy in our text today addresses one of the most serious pitfalls that confront Christians in the caring ministry. The Bible says, But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever (1 Timothy 5:8). The family is an institution whose importance is emphasized in all the passages of the Scripture. We cannot overlook the supreme importance of the family to God. He gave us families as the building blocks of the society and as a place to learn how to care. Furthermore, caring for others to the detriment of our own families is a great tragedy. Today, a good number of people focus all their attention on career, social engagement, extended family, ungodly company, etc., leaving their families unattended. Their spouses and children are like sheep without a shepherd and the devil has seized the opportunity to attack their home front.
Anyone who leaves his family uncared for is causing a lot of havoc to the society. Some marriages break up because those God has placed over the home spend little or no time with their families. Nothing is more pathetic than a committed Christian who has become so concerned in caring for others that he or she forgets his own family. If you are guilty of this, you need to ask God to forgive you and have a change of heart from today.
PRAYER: O Lord, help me to be alive to my responsibilities in my family in Jesus Name. Amen.
