Love: Foundation for a Healthy Family Relationship (Part 4) By Pastor Faith Oyedepo
Topic — Love: Foundation for a Healthy Family Relationship (Part 4)
Dear Reader,
You are most welcome to the last week of these month’s teaching series. I believe your home has been experiencing a positive transformation, since I began this teaching series. One of the most important lessons I want you to take note of is that love must be expressed by carrying out your various responsibilities as individual member of the family.
God designed marriage and family for joy, peace, pleasure and prosperity. Lack of love is responsible for most of the crises in homes today. Love is a vital key that unlocks all other blessings of marriage. In other words, when love is given expression in the home, there will be joy, peace and a lasting healthy family relationship.
Today I will be sharing with you the love responsibility of the children to their parent and in the home. The Bible says: Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth (Ephesians 6:1-3).
Children also have responsibilities to their parents and other siblings or family members and it is outlined as follows:
1. Children have the duty of honouring and respecting their parent
The word “honour” means to respect; children are to show this honour in a respectful attitude toward their parents. They should be taught to speak respectfully to their parents and family members. God has tied a blessing to children honouring their parents, and it states that your days will be long and it will be well with you. Hence, if you want longevity and wellness, then you must learn to honour and respect your parents. This comes in the way you address them either physically or when they are not present, your attitude towards them, obedience to instructions given per time, etc. When you learn to respect your parents, you will also show this respect to those older than you, who are not necessarily within your household. As it is said, charity begins from home.
2. Children have the duty of obeying father and mother.
Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord (Colossians 3:20).
Children should be taught at an early age the act of quick obedience. Their seeking clarifications on any issue or instruction should only be done respectfully and with a spirit of, “Yes, I will do what you ask, but I would seek this clarification.” If you are a child reading this, then you must understand that delayed obedience equals disobedience. Every commandment must be acted on promptly and in the right order.
3. Children have a duty to listen to wise counsel from their parents
A wise child will realize that he has much to learn from the counsel of his parents. You parents have experienced far more than you have, so it is wisdom to learn from their experiences, if you must do better and achieve more than they did. The Bible says: My son, hear the instructions of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother (Proverbs 1:8).
A wise child should seek the counsel of his/her parents in educational matters, vocational issues, finances, marriage, etc. However, these counsel must only be godly; proved by God’s Word.
Let me also state here that parent have a great responsibility to ensure their children are brought up properly. You must also pay attention to your child’s upbringing. You cannot be too busy to ensure your child have a good moral, spiritual and emotional upbringing. Do not shift this responsibility to the teachers at school, the caregiver at home or even the Church, as some people tend to do. It is majorly your responsibility to bring up your child the way you want him or her to be viewed from without.
The truth is: the way you train your child determines the respect, honour, obedience and listening ears he/she gives to you. Remember that you are a “child-taker” to that child and you are accountable to God who is the owner of your child. So, you will give account of your stewardship towards him/him, either good or bad. May you be found faithful and worthy of rewards in Jesus’ name.
Being a parent is an awesome privilege and you need to undertake this task with diligence and determination to succeed. You shall make it gloriously in Jesus name. However, to train godly children and for you as a child to perform your responsibility in the family to God’s delight, you need to be born again.
Being born again means, accepting Jesus as Lord and Saviour of your life. You can do this by confessing your sins and accepting His love. If you have not asked Jesus to come into your life or may have neglected your initial love for Him, then you should say this prayer in faith: Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me my sins and cleanse me with Your Blood. I accept You as my Lord and personal Saviour. Make me a child of God today. Thank You for delivering me from sin and satan to serve the living God and thank You for accepting me into Your Kingdom.
Congratulations! If you prayed this simple prayer of faith with me, you are now born again and a child of God. He loves you and will never leave you. Read your Bible daily, obey God’s Word and seek Christian fellowship (John 14:21).
With this, you are guaranteed all-round rest and peace in Jesus’ Name! Call or write to share your testimonies with me through contact@faithoyedepo.org, 07026385437 OR 08141320204.
For more insight, these books authored by me are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian bookstores: Building a Successful Home, Making Marriage Work both authored by me, and Success in Marriage (Co-Authored) with Dr. David O. Oyedepo.
“Please click HERE to read other inspiring articles by Pastor Faith Oyedepo”
Pastor Faith Oyedepo is the wife of Bishop David Oyedepo, the founder of the Living Faith Church Worldwide a.k.a. Winners’ Chapel, and Senior Pastor of Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, Nigeria.
