05/04/2019
Discussing false god’s and graven images in church is a favorite topic because it is a natural tendency of man to place various things above God as we move through our lives. One of the favorite topics of every preacher is money, or gold, but there are so many others. One of them is a nearly sacred topic, and we are often remiss in discussing it... family. We love our spouses, children, and families dearly, but do we allow them to encourage our faith in God, or to discourage it? Does our love of family become a god to us?
“Can man make for himself gods? Such are not gods!"”
Jeremiah 16:20 ESV
There are times in our lives, and you may be living through one right now, when we are in spiritual discord within our own church. Perhaps it is over the direction being taken in a building project, the handling of replacing a church leader, hurt feelings regarding discipline, or disagreement over liturgy, whatever the apparent cause, the root can generally be boiled down to placing one’s self before God... into making an idol out of something that we should not. Fortunately, there are other churches, so people can leave one, and go to another where they can continue to worship while God deals with the root of their original discontentment... the false god of self-righteousness or selfishness that has been carved out of religion.
Families are much the same, but the difference is that we only have one of them. When we are in discord we can’t just deny our family, and seek out a new one. So what do we do when our faith goes head to head with family?
“"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.”
Luke 14:26-27 ESV
This is a much misunderstood piece of scripture. When we think of hate we think of conflict, fighting, war, and those kinds of violent thoughts, but we can hate what someone does without harming them. We can be members of a family that doesn’t believe in Jesus Christ, and have given our own lives to Jesus without detesting them. We can live our life of faith within a faithless family and be the catalyst that saves their soul.
A catalyst is a remarkable thing... it causes, or speeds up, a chemical reaction without itself being changed. We too can cause a change of faith in our families without being changed ourselves, but sometimes that means suffering. We hate the faithlessness, but love the person we wish to see brought to faith.
“Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct.”
1 Peter 3:1-2 ESV
So what does this have to do with false gods? Well, it is hard to worship God, and Jesus, when in a faithless environment, and there is great temptation to make the love of our family, and even our children, into a god. Not yielding in faith when confronted with this kind of deep seeded adversity is incredibly challenging. Here is a small example... On Sunday morning you are preparing to go to church, but your spouse says “come back to bed with me”, or you are reading the Bible, or children’s bible stories, and a child begs you to read them them something else. Situations like this, and so many others, make you choose your god... will it be family, or the God of Abraham? Provide first for your family by presenting them with the love and character of God.
“But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
1 Timothy 5:8 ESV
The Bible is full of scriptures regarding our family, and our obligation to present them with our faith... to lead them to God, and Jesus Christ; so do not be changed by them, but instead be a catalyst in your home, and let your faith be the agent of change that will save those you love. Be a missionary within your own house.
“Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf. Whoever troubles his own household will inherit the wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart. The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is wise.”
Proverbs 11:28-30 ESV
Prayer for the souls of our Family:
Father, I thank you for those in my family who I can bring to faith through your Word, and by my reflection of your goodness, and character. Help me Holy Father as I endeavor to win souls within my own house, and keep me secure in you as I am confronted with the human love of family that Satan would use to supplant you as my God. I place you on the throne of my life Father, and I mourn for my family, and children, who have other gods before them... gods that society preaches all the day long. Holy Spirit, give me wisdom and knowledge to present the gospel of Jesus. Merciful Lord, in my suffering, give me patience and perseverance as I confront the worldly influence in my family. Father, call those who are my relatives by my example, and lead them by your Holy Spirit to love and worship you. Lead them to confess your Son Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you the one true God, and great is your Son Jesus Christ that has redeemed us. Praised be your name as you call my family to you, and all glory be yours as each soul is won to you.
“And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.”
Acts 16:31-34 ESV
Rich Forbes