What is the Purpose for the Family?

One of the most important institutions created by God was the family. It was the means in how our earth would be populated. Even before there was sin, God created the family (Genesis 1:26-28). This happened on the 6th day of creation. God created the family for His purpose and gave them a mission which was to replicate His image in history and to carry out His divinely mandated dominion on the earth. In other words, we are to rule the earth on God’s behalf in history so that history comes under God’s authority. One of the benefits of a strong family is familial happiness but the problem is that happiness is not the the mission. The mission is to reflect God through the advancement of His kingdom rule on earth. The biggest problem today is that we have switched the benefit with the goal so that when  our happiness isn’t working out, we quit the marriage and the family and move on. We must never forget that happiness was never God’s first concern but a bi-product of His mandate.

Many today believe that the family is some social construct created by society. This is one of the reasons why there is so much chaos in our society today because of man’s attempt to redefine the family. God’s command was to “be fruitful and multiply…” How can a society be fruitful and multiply or pro-create if our society attempts to redefine marriage as woman with a woman or man with a man? Concerning our children, God describes them as a blessing (Psalm 127:3). Unfortunately, many today consider children as a hindrance to their way of life and the results are millions of babies being murdered by abortion. This self-centered mindset is the exact reason societies are in chaos. Additionally, this attitude has caused a continual birth rate decline in the US that reached a century low in 2023. The future consequences will have social and economic repercussions.

In Dr. Tony Evan’s book “Kingdom Agenda”, he shares a analogous story when he noticed cracks on his walls and how he attempted to resolve the problem. In essence, the cracks were noticed and he then called someone to repair the walls. This person came, evaluated and subsequently repaired and repainted the wall. When he finished, the repaired wall looked great! Over time the cracks returned but this time, there were additional cracks surrounding the original cracks. So Tony assumed that he just needed a different painter to fix the wall. This is how the dialogue went.

When I called the new painter to come and fix my wall, he just stared at it for awhile and then bluntly said, “I can’t help you.” “Excuse me?” I replied, “Why can’t you help me?” “Because you don’t have a problem with cracks on your wall.” I looked at the cracks on my wall. And then I looked at the crackpot standing in front of me telling me that I don’t have a problem with cracks on my wall. Pointing to them, I said, “Then explain those.” “Well, sir,” he began, “those are definitely cracks on your wall. But they are not your problem. Your problem is that the foundation underneath your home is shifting. It is faulty. The cracks on your wall are merely reflective of a deeper problem.” “I’m listening,” I said, “Go on.” “If you don’t solidify the foundation, your cracks will never end and you will forever be performing patchwork on your walls. You don’t just need a painter. You first need someone to work on your foundation.” He let me know that until the foundation of my home was repaired, repairing the plaster and repainting it would not do any good. The cracks would simply reappear, this time bringing even more of their family members along.

So the chaos we see in our society today comes from the break down of our families. Divorce has devastated our society. At one point statistics revealed that roughly 50% of marriages – whether Christian or non-Christian end in divorce. Recently, that statistic was revised to reveal that marriages by evangelical Christians ended in divorce roughly 25%….not 50%. Dedicated Christians realize that marriage is about a commitment first to God and then to your spouse. Why is our relationship with God more important in the context of our marriages? Why wouldn’t you seek guidance from He who created you and your marriage? One problem is that our society has an incorrect view of what love is. Our culture says that love is a feeling but God, who is love (1 John 4:16) says that it is much more. For example, in the greek language, there are several words for love: 1) eros – passionate, romantic love, 2) philia – deep friendship, 3)  storge – familial love and 4) agape – unconditional selfless love. God’s love for us is agape! He calls those that love Him to reflect this love to others. This love is not natural for most but a relationship with His son Jesus provides the means to live out this type of love with those around us. Is it easy? Of course not, but anything worth having is rarely easy to obtain. It comes at the cost of our selfishness as I noted above, is the main cause of just about all of the issues in our society.

The result of children that were raised in fatherless homes raises another issue, as that child’s view of a family, as they enter adulthood. Now the fatherless children are single and possibly looking to create their own family or many times decide to also have children outside of wedlock and the generational cycle that disintegrates the family continues. This was not God’s plan but it can be redeemed.

In families that seek God, responsibility, humility and spiritual growth are foundational. Once two people get married, establishing a healthy functioning marriage is another critical foundation block. The problem is that failed marriages cannot produce the unified, enduring families needed to support our troubled society. Children can’t learn the crucial lessons necessary to develop good self-images now and to build strong marriages for themselves later. The key to restoring our society is to restore our families as they are the building blocks of our society.
Every person on this earth comes from a family. As we move into adulthood and create our own families and have children, whos image are you seeking to replicate? 

Always remember that satan’s goal is to turn man away from God. If we choose not to worship the God who created us, we actually help progress satan’s plan.