If God Asks You?

If God asked me to sacrifice my child, the way He asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac.. I'm not sure what I would say but I know i will do my best to dodge the instruction. What would you do and How would you feel?

"The most amazing thing about God is that He won't ever ask you to do that. He didn't ask Abraham and He won't ask it of you" that's because God did it for us. He took His one and only son and laid him down for us. And Jesus went to the cross willingly out if love for you and me.

The question I need us to ask ourselves is " what is in your life that you need to lay down? It's not your son- that's already been done which is of course the highest thing possible , so maybe it's your talent or your time or your treasure. 

If you woke up today and you are breathing, Gods greatest purpose for you is still ahead. In Deuteronomy God tells us that He has set before us life and death, blessings and curses. "Now choose life" is the message of the Bible.

"What do you know about tomorrow? How can you be so sure about your life? It is nothing more than mist that appears for only a little while before it disappears. You should say, “If the Lord lets us live, we will do these things.” (James 4:14, 15 CEVDCUS06)

We all have one chance to let our lives be a sacrifice for God.

Let's start today

Written by Kachi

Reference: unlocked by Karen kings bury

The Great Deceiver

One of the things we need to know about this week is how Satan tries to fill our minds with voices that speak lies to us. They whisper that we are not good and are unworthy of God’s love. He tells us we are not talented enough for God to use us, or that we are not smart enough to know God in a deep way. He fills us with doubt, discouragement, fear and disbelief in order to hinder us in our Christian walk. So I want to focus on 3 areas of our lives where Satan likes to wreak havoc.

1. He will mess with our thoughts

Satan will do all he can to mess with our heads. Sadly, he doesn’t have to use much to mess us up. It can be a passing comment by a friend or family member, it can be a glimpse in the mirror, or an attempt at something that fails. He will tempt us to think that what is true is false, what is right is wrong, or what is good is bad. He weaves these webs of doubt and disbelief so that we take our eyes off of Jesus and focus on ourselves. It corrupts our knowledge of God and always leads to weak faith and ungodliness.

When thoughts or inclinations contrary to the will and ways of God creep in, many dear Christians mistake these miserable orphans for their own children, and take upon themselves the full responsibility for these carnal passions. So deftly does the devil slip his own thoughts into the saints’ bosom that by the time they begin to whimper, he is already out of sight. And the Christian, seeing no one but himself at home, supposes these misbegotten notions are his own. So he bears the shame himself, and Satan has accomplished his purpose.
William Gurnall

2. He will mess with your quiet time

Satan knows something that we often forget, and that is the power and effectiveness of the word of God. He knows that in it we not only find truth, but The Truth. Therefore he will do all he can to keep us from the Scriptures. The other thing Satan knows about the word of God is that it is his “kryptonite”–the sword that can and will defeat him.  John Piper points out that “many Christians fail to realize that we can’t draw the sword from someone else’s scabbard. If we don’t wear it, we can’t wield it. If the Word of God does not abide in us (Jn. 15:7), we will reach for it in vain when the enemy strikes.” Not matter what we face, no matter how we feel, we must make sure we are in God’s word so that our sword is sharpened and ready for battle. With a sword like that the devil cannot overcome you!

“It is written.” Stand upon it, and if the devil were fifty devils in one, he could not overcome you. On the other hand, if you leave “It is written,” Satan knows more about reasoning than you do. He is far older, has studied mankind very thoroughly, and knows all our weak points. Therefore, the contest will be an unequal one.  Do not argue with him but wave in his face the banner of God’s Word.  Satan cannot endure the infallible truth, for it is death to the falsehood of which he is the father.
C.H. Spurgeon

3. He will mess with your prayer life

All prayer requires of us is that we simply, truly, talk to God through Jesus Christ. But many of us struggle with this. We don’t know what to say, we feel like our prayers are not reaching the ears of God.  Sometimes we find ourselves distracted and bored. How many of us are truly excited and can’t wait to attend our church prayer meetings? How many times do we try to pray only to have all kinds of other thoughts flood our minds? Satan has done a great job convincing us that prayer is a drag and because of this many of us have weak prayer lives. We cry out when we are desperate or want something, but we rarely just talk to him about our day, our life, our desires and his greatness.

Few indeed are to be found who pray: there are many who go down on their knees, and say a form perhaps, but few who pray; few who cry out to God, few who call on the Lord, few who seek as if they wanted to find, few who knock as if they hungered and thirsted, few who wrestle, few who strive with God earnestly for an answer, few who give Him no rest, few who continue in prayer, few who pray always without ceasing and do not grow weak. Yes: few pray!  It is just one of the things assumed as a matter of course, but seldom practiced; a thing which is everybody’s business, but in fact hardly anybody performs.
J.C. Ryle

Satan will never give up distracting us with lies, false pleasures, and a plethora of idols to replace God. We must be aware of his tactics and fight against him.

We must guard our minds, dive deep into our quiet times, and persevere in prayer–but not to earn more of God’s love. You see, the devil is right when he tells us that we are unworthy of God’s love. We are. Yet, God loves us anyway and eternally. We guard our minds, dive deep into our quiet times, and persevere in prayer because in this we see the love of God more clearly.

Written by Jen Thorn

Posted by Kachi

Steps to Spiritual Growth

So, you're a growing Christian, or you've recently given your life to Christ and you are trying everything you can to live your life dedicated to God and in this Christ-like path you have chosen. You've learnt a lot about your new self, you've probably learned and are still learning how to live by faith, love, and all of that, but you want more. You want to be able to do more for God, you don't want to be an ordinary child of God, an ordinary Christian, you want to grow from your present spiritual level to a higher level of spirituality.

St.Peter has given us a dynamic strategy for improvement, he has given us principles to live by, he promised in 2peter 1:12-15 to remind us of these principles, these truths that we already know. Like a good coach, he knew that reviewing the basics is important.

If you want more and more of Gods kindness and peace, then make the following your habit:

 

* Learn to know God better: 2peter 1:3 says                

 "For if you learn to know Him better, He will

 give you, through His great power, everything    

 you need for living a truly good life: He even

 shares His own glory with us!" The only true

 place you can learn about God is from the

 bible, for all scripture is inspired by the Holy

 spirit. Always study your bible.

* You must work hard to be good.

* You need faith, for without faith you can't.  

  please God.

* Discover what God wants you to do through  

  fervent prayer and studying the bible.

* Learn to put aside your own desires so that

  you would become patient and godly, gladly

  letting God have His way with you.            

* Learn to love: Enjoy other people, truly like

  them and show it.

The more you go on in this way the more u will grow spiritually and become fruitful and useful to our Lord JesusChrist. Vs 10 says "So dear brothers, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen, and then u will never stumble or fall away. And God will open wide the gates of heaven for you to enter into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ.

* Inspired by the 2peter 1.

 

Written by:

Ms'Lin.

6 Scriptural Prayers for Our Husbands

So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11(NASB)

My husband Monty and I are different. So very different. Early in our marriage, I loved those differences. But as the years have passed, they’ve been known to cause frustration … arguments, slammed doors, and words that can’t be taken back.

Sometimes toxic thoughts and words fill my heart and spew forth from my lips. Thoughts that linger and take root. Words that cut deep.

I’m too quick to take offense.

I asked him to do this. If he cared about me, he would. He knows it’s important to me. I shouldn’t even have to ask.

I get annoyed.

He’s late for dinner … again. Couldn’t he call? He knows we eat at the same time every night.

I replay the hurt in my mind, and at times it consumes me.

Please know that I share these thoughts as a wife who loves her husband deeply. But I’m also a wife who struggles to live out that love in a God-honoring way.

Maybe you can relate. I wrestle with thinking unkind thoughts about the man I love more than anyone else. And then I remember the truth of God’s Word, and He makes it personal:

Wendy … “whatever is in your heart determines what you say,” Matthew 12:34b (NLT).

Wendy … “give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your sight; Keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their body. Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life,” Proverbs 4:20-23 (NASB).

When I read that warning from Proverbs chapter 4, it signals me to change what fills my heart. It directs me to go to God’s Word and find words of life for my marriage and my husband.

So I’ve committed to pray God’s Word over my husband. Today, I’m sharing what I pray and invite you to join me in praying for your husband:

Father, give my husband a discerning heart to know Your great love for him and the great plans You have for him and our family. Plans to prosper and not to harm, to give us hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Father, give my husband the mind of Christ, saturate it with godly wisdom. Help him to take every thought captive that is not in obedience to Your Word, and in so doing protect him from pride and temptation. (1 Corinthians 2:16, 2 Corinthians 10:5)

Father, open the eyes of my husband’s heart to understand Your Word, so that he won’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of his mind so that he may know Your good, acceptable and perfect will for his life and our marriage. (Romans 12:2)

Father, help my husband to trust in You with all his heart, not depending on his own understanding, but acknowledging You in all his ways, so he knows what direction our family should take. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Father, may the favor of the Lord rest on my husband. Bless and establish the work of his hands and his heart. (Psalm 90:17)

Father, help us to live together in perfect unity by loving, honoring and respecting one another and serving each other for Your glory, honor and praise! (1 Thessalonians 5:13)

Friend, when we replace our toxic thoughts with the precious Word of God and then pray those words, we pray the Word that is living and active, capable of changing hearts and minds. We are praying the mind and will of God, as revealed in His Word, into our marriages!

So pray with hope, boldness and confidence! God will be faithful to honor His Word.

Heavenly Father, replace my toxic thoughts with Your life-giving words and teach me to pray those words over my heart, my husband and my marriage. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Proverbs 4:23, “Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.” (NASB)

Written by Tracie Miles for Proverbs 31

Posted by Kachi

But God...He's Not Very Lovable Right Now

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NIV)

My emotions swirled in frustration during a particularly difficult season of my marriage. My husband’s disillusionment with life, God and our marriage had taken him to a place of rock-bottom depression. It was one of the darkest seasons I’d ever experienced.

“God, show me what you want me to do,” I whispered in desperation.

“I want you to love him.” I heard deep in my soul.

Immediately I responded, “But God … he’s not very lovable right now.”

“I know, Jill. Sometimes you aren’t either,” God whispered back.

“Okay, Lord. I get that. You love me when I’m not very lovable. Show me how to do the same.”

That conversation with God launched a much-needed lesson about what real love looks like in everyday life as a wife and a mom.

Love is a blend of affection, devotion and loyalty. It is part emotion and part commitment. Real love — unconditional love — is hope blended into the reality of life.

Two years after that hard season of marriage, I found myself in a difficult season of parenting. As a mother of five, we’d faced plenty of parenting trials, but none quite as challenging or long-suffering as this season with one of our children. I knew God needed me to respond in love to my child who was anything but lovable in this hard time.

Our imperfect family members need to know that our love is never in doubt. It always protects, trusts, hopes and perseveres.

When God is the leader of our lives, He asks us to deny ourselves and follow Him. That means resisting the way we want to react and instead choosing to respond the way God wants us to respond.

There’s a battle that happens inside of us between doing things our way and doing things God’s way. When we let God win that battle, we take a step of maturity in our faith. We also get to experience a sense of joy when we experience the victory of handling things God’s way instead of our way.

I opened my Bible to 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 and began to perform a parenting love audit as it related to my child:

Love is patient. Am I patient with my child who is so different than I am?

Love is kind. Am I kind when it takes my child twice the amount of time to do something than I think it should?

Love does not envy. Do I wish my child were more like someone else’s child?

Love does not boast. Am I quick to share what my child does well or hide areas when my child doesn’t seem to measure up?

Love is not proud. Am I hesitant to share how I’m really doing or how my child is really doing out of a fear of what people will think?

Love does not dishonor others. Do I ever dishonor my child, demanding that he be someone other than the unique person God has made him to be?

Love is not self-seeking. Am I ever selfish in my interactions with my child?

Love is not easily angered. How much energy do I waste being angry at my child?

Love keeps no record of wrongs. Do I have an ongoing list in my head about everything my child has done wrong?

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. Do I keep my mind focused on God’s truth about my child?

Love protects. Do I protect this unique human being God entrusted to me even when he challenges my authority?

Love trusts. Do I trust that God has a bigger picture in mind for this child’s life?

Love hopes. Do I hope and believe the best for this child, or do I dread what tomorrow might bring?

Love perseveres. Do I keep my mind on the future possibilities rather than focusing on the difficulties and challenges I’m dealing with today?

Thank You, God, for loving me with all my faults. And thank You for the imperfect people I live with. I know You use their imperfections to help me mature and mold me to be more like You. I also know You use my imperfections in that process, too. Help me to keep Your Truth embedded in my heart, so I can love without stopping, even when they don’t feel so loveable. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Written by Tracie Miles

Posted by Kachi

Just Nine Doors Down

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.’” Mark 12:30-31 (NIV)

In the two years since we’d moved into our new neighborhood, I’d seen her on my walks. Sometimes she was rolling her trash can out to the curb. Or in her front yard watering her flowers. I’d smile and say “Hi” for a brief second.

After all, my neighborhood is big; my life is busy. So I’d pop my headphones back in and keep walking to my house, just nine doors down.

Awhile back, there were flashing lights, sirens and all things alarming in our neighborhood. A fire, maybe?… I thought as I drove into my neighborhood, returning from an errand-running venture. My mama’s heart raced. My 12-year-old son was home alone. Had he burnt some toast and set the smoke alarm system blaring? Or worse?

As my car approached, I saw it was not my house, but another house nine doors down. Relief for my soul.

And though the rescue vehicles were parked in front of my nine-doors-down neighbor’s house, no fire appeared to blaze there either.

Must have been a false alarm, I reasoned to myself.

Two days later, I heard the awful news. No fire. No smoke. Just a terribly saddened soul.

You see, just nine doors down, something happened in the mind of my nameless, flower-watering, smile-and-say-hello fellow human being. Something told her this life wasn’t worth living anymore. And she agreed.

Now her heart no longer beats. Her flowers still grow, but she can’t water them anymore. I can still walk by her house, lost deeply in the Jesus-music blaring on my iPod. Staring straight ahead. Rushing to the next thing on my to-do list for the day.

Nine doors down, there will be no more hand-waves. No smiles as I stroll by. And no more thoughts of, I should stop and find out her name. I haven’t really met this gal yet. If I’d reached out and befriended her, would she have seen Jesus in our friendship?

Could we have walked the neighborhood streets together? Maybe gone for coffee to get to know each other a bit? Would a glimpse of the perfect God in the life of an imperfect me perhaps beckoned her to have a relationship with Him, too? Would she have found God’s purpose and peace instead of finding a way to end her emotional pain?

God only knows.

I am a woman who wants to love God, but so often I am too busy to really love the people He puts plainly in my path. But this love, as today’s key verse declares, is more important than all the sacrifices we could make.

I cannot beat myself up. But I can do something. So can you. We can pause, permitting God to tap us on the heart, gently interrupt us and rearrange our day.

We can go deeper … beyond a hurried “Hi!” to an authentic, “How are you?” When God knocks on our hearts, we can knock on their doors.

Will you do it? Will you try? Then once you’ve reached out, leave the results to God. Our job is obedience. God’s job is results.

Trust me, it is AWFUL to get to know your neighbor through the tales and tears of her relatives at a memorial service. I wish I had made the time and gotten to know her personally.

May we all respond to those taps on our hearts today and not ignore them. God just may use us as He saves a life.

After all, remember it isn’t that far of a walk … just nine doors down.

Dear Lord, I want to be aware of the times You tap my heart, asking me to reach out to someone. May I pay attention and respond, so they might know You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
James 4:17, “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” (NIV 1984)

Proverbs 3:28, “Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you’ — when you already have it with you.’” (NIV)

Written by Tracie Mile

Posted by Kachi

When You Want To Know God's Will

When I give people directions to get to my house, I tell them to veer left when they get to a “Y” in the road. Sometimes I wish there were such clear directions for my life. I often get to places in my journey where I am just not sure which way to go. There are no signs pointing one way or the other and I feel completely lost.

Am I the only one who feels that way?

What I really want is a spiritual GPS that I take with me every day that will tell me where to go. I don’t ever want to get lost or feel stuck in-between in some no-man’s land. When I come to a junction in my life where I have to choose between A or B, I want my GPS to tell me which way to go. I want to hear, “At the T-junction ahead, you will have to select between two jobs, turn right to take Job B.”

I often think to myself, “I just want to know God’s will for my life.” But what I really want to know is the future. More than a GPS, I want a crystal ball that shows me everything that lies ahead in my life. But knowing the future is something only God can do. He is the only one who sees all things and knows all things. In fact, he planned each of our days before one of them came to be. As David wrote, “in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them” (Psalm 139:16).

While we can’t know the future, we can know God’s will for us because that’s something God has already given us. “I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart” (Psalm 40:8). Everything God wants us to know and do is in his word. Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” We may not be able to see what lies ahead over the next hill but God’s word will illumine the way before us.

When you wonder what God’s will is:

1. Pray: The Bible tells us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). When you want to know what God wants you to do, pray. Pray for his will to be done. Pray that your heart would be yielding and trusting. Pray for wisdom and discernment. God hears and he uses our prayers to carry out his will.

2. Trust: Over and over Scripture tells us trust God. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6). We are not to depend on ourselves, our own strength, our own abilities but in God. We must trust in his love for us and believe in his goodness and faithfulness. “And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you” (Psalm 9:10).

3. Wait: Sometimes God’s will is for us to wait. Sometimes he wants to use us right there at that “T” junction in our life. Or that “T” junction might be the place where we learn and grow in our faith in ways we can’t otherwise. Waiting is a good thing. It causes to reflect on God, to rely on him, to seek him. Lamentation says, “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord” (3:25-26).

4. Obey: God also wants us to obey. When we don’t know what to do in a situation, we are called to obey. “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). When it comes to making choices and decisions, what choice will obey God?

5. Seek him first: Above all, our greatest desire should be God. More than anything else in life, above all the pleasures and cares of this world, God should be our greatest love. Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” When our greatest delight is God then our desires will naturally align with his. And he’ll only give us more and more what we desire, himself. “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). When you wonder what God’s will is, seek him first.

6. Pursue what brings him glory: The Westminster Confession says that the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. Paul puts it this way, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). From the way we eat to anything else we do, things grand to the everyday little things, we are to do it all to his glory and fame. When we pursue what brings God glory, we are doing his will.

Are you at a “T” junction in your life? Seek God in his Word and there you will find his will for you.

 

 

Written by Christina

Posted by Kachi

Abuse Of Grace.

                         

For some, 'God understands' while others say 'God is just being merciful'! The question before us today is, "Has God changed from hating evil?" Those who do not understand God will say, "Verily thou art a God that hideth thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour" (Isa 45:15). Hear God's reply, "I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth ...I the lord speak righteousness, I declare things that are right" (Isa 45:19). Because God is always the same (Hebrews 13:8), it means that our God is righteous and forever declares right things.

Deuteronomy 22:19 tells us that God forbade divorce and  Sex- Before- Marriage (Fornication). We see clearly, how much God upholds the sacredness of virginity in Deuteronomy 22:21. God said if a virgin consented to losing her virginity by not resisting or exposing the evil man, "...the men of her town (should) stone her to death" (Deuteronomy 22:24). Meaning that child, youth or adult sex, even between friends is unacceptable. Put another way, at the time, God inputted death sentence on adultery, fornication, or rape committed by man or woman, boy or girl to show how grievous they are to God, and to use them as examples for us (1Corinthians 10:11). But today these sexual sins have become normal in society. We call it 'Mistake', 'Affair', 'Making love', or simply 'sex'; just to decorate sin!

Moreover, many people believe that the God of the Old Testament is different from the God of the New Testament. Under the new covenant however, the death clause is only postponed, not removed: to give room for repentance- This is Grace for you! This dispensation of grace is not an excuse to indulge the flesh in sexual pleasures. David paid the price for immorality, for even after God forgave him (sparing him from death penalty) he still had to suffer all the punishments God pronounced (2 Sam 12:10-14).

Hear Blessed James Alberione. "Let the spirit live in you and control your inner being: the mind, the heart and the will. Serious sins send out the Holy spirit from the soul; venial sins which we commit rather often and with our open eyes, hinder the action of the Holy spirit in us and as a result we no longer walk in holiness."

Culled From:

Daily Strength Devotional.

Posted By:

Ms'Lin.

Nazareth: A model for family life.

                                

         The family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph is known as the Holy family. Reflecting on the Holy family of Nazareth, gives us the exemplary life of Jesus, Mary and Joseph as the ideal family, the prototype family, the paradigm that all human families must emulate if our world is to know true peace and lasting joy. In the Holy family, we celebrate the preponderance of faith, hope, love, mutual respect and the fear of the Lord, and all men and women are challenged to build their marriage and family life on the pattern laid down by the Holy Family of Nazareth.

  

        Reflecting on the Holy Family is important for all of us, because we are living in a world where ideals and value of Christian marriage and family life are becoming more and more difficult for men and women of our age. Our secular society often considers the pains and sacrifices that go with their marriage and family life an unnecessary burden that must be rejected. The men and women of our generation often want to have their pleasures, and they are often not ready to make any serious sacrifices for the sake of the spouse or child. That is why traditional family life, that is, the lasting union of man and woman, is becoming an endangered institution. This to a large extent explains why there are so many cries in many families and the high rate of failure in marriage and divorce is so high in our society. Indeed there is a general crisis of commitment among the men and women of our age, and this is reflected in a most pathetic way in marriage and family life.

          It is within the context of a generation that is weighed down by a crisis of commitment; a generation where trial marriages and divorces have become an everyday occurrence; a generation where the unfortunate phenomenon of single parenthood is becoming prevalent; it is within the context of an exaggerated secularism, where traditional family values are discountenanced along with their spiritual and moral counterparts that we reflect upon the Holy Family. Jesus, Mary and Joseph challenge the men and women of our generation with the words of proverb 1:7 that "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."

         Christian marriage is a task, an enormous task. It has its own joys and sorrows. The attempt by many people to enjoy the joys of marital life and yet reject its sorrows is the root of the crisis in marriage and family life today. Christian marriage is a life of love. Christian love takes time to grow and mature. Christian love entails sacrifice, including the sacrifices involved in raising children, and the sacrifice involved in forgiving an offending and sometimes the unfaithful spouse. To forgive an unfaithful and offending spouse is not easy; it will take the grace of God and the maturity of Christian love. Yet it is the life of sacrifice, of mutual forgiveness, the life of patience, and of fear of the Lord, these are necessary for all families.

         Taking into cognisance the difficulties that go with marriage, especially its permanence and indisolubility, the disciples said to Jesus: if that is how things are between husband and wife, it is advisable not to marry". The reply of Jesus was, "It is not everyone who can accept what I have said, but only those to whom it is granted" (Matthew 19:10-11). Christian marriage is therefore a vocation for Christians. It is a calling. Christian marriage is a grace, a gift of God to those He has chosen. Those who do not have the life of Christ in them cannot appreciate the spiritual dimension of Christian marriage. Success in Christian marriage and family is to be guaranteed by God who Himself is love, and who alone can teach us how to love, and how to raise a family in love.

         The psalmist says that "Unless the Lord builds a house, the labourers labour in vain" (Psalm 127:1-2). Many of us can and indeed do build houses, but none of us can on our own build a home. We need the fear of the Lord. We need the grace of God, in order to build a home. In John 15:1-12 Jesus emphasises the fact that we are only branches. He is the vine, we shall bear fruits in plenty. But cut off from Him, we can do nothing. God is love and He is the source, the fountain, the summit of love. Only those who seek God and who abide in God and His ways shall succeed in living a life of love. Human relations will be better ordered where there is wholesome respect for God and His will. The love for and fear of the lord inspires mutual respect and mutual forgiveness which are necessary conditions for a peaceful marriage. Those who fear the Lord are more easily disposed to love their neighbour. Those who fear the Lord shall be endowed with the same grace that sustained Jesus, Mary and Joseph in Nazareth. Indeed, piety is the true foundation of both family and social life.

          Christian families must be always united with God in prayer. They must learn to pray together, for the family that prays together stays together. The communion of life that the Christian family is, makes it a school of love. In Christian marriage and family life, the members gradually learn the meaning of the words of St. Paul in 1Corinthians 13:4-7, that "Love is always patient and kind; love is never jealous; love is not boastful or conceited; love is never rude and never seeks its own advantages. Love does not rejoice at wrong doing, but finds its joy in truth. Love is always ready to make allowances, to trust, to hope and to endure whatever  comes. Love never comes to an end....."

          The Christian family is the proper place to conquer selfishness and greed, since the husband and wife and children are compelled by their faith in God and their mutual commitment to share. The Christian family is the proper place to overcome inordinate anger and the spirit of vengeance, since the divine commitment compels them to forgive one another after every hurt. The Christian family is the proper place to learn to rejoice, with those who rejoice  and to mourn with those who mourn. The husband, wife or child in the Christian family is not only a neighbour, but also a friend, for whom one should be ready to lay down his or her life. The Christian family is therefore,  a place to grow in holiness of life. That is why Christian marriage is seen by the Christian church as a vocation.

         Fidelity in Christian marriage and family should bring fulfilment and peace, and should ultimately lead the couple and their children to God.  The Christian family is, therefore, the divinely provided context in which the Christian child may grow to physical, mental and spiritual maturity. Proverbs 22:6 says that if you train a child in the way of the Lord when he is young, he will not depart from it when he grows old.

          

Written by:

Rev. Fr. Bonaventure Ashibi, OSJ.

For: Nigerian Catholic Reporter.

Posted by:

Ms'Lin.