[Biblemat] S) FAMILY PROBLEMS!

[J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com]

Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here.  Here is a study from my
files.  Use to the glory of God.

FAMILY PROBLEMS!

     Many homes are in trouble, even those among members of
the church.  In some homes, husbands and wives are ready
to call it quits and divide the spoils -- children included!  Others have 
resigned themselves to live together in misery;
they know that they have no Scriptural grounds to divorce or
separate (Matt. 19:3-9; 1 Cor. 7:5), but they do not enjoy one
another's company anymore, and they bicker constantly; their home is a 
constant "battle royal."  Some say they want
to solve their problems and "live happily ever after," but all
attempts to fix their problems have failed, and it appears that
no solution or peace is on the horizon.

     Good And Bad News: -- The bad news is that family prob-
lems are serious problems.  It is shockingly woeful that so
many families are in trouble -- especially among Christians.
It ought not be!  God designed the home for good, not wretch-
edness.  It is mournfully deplorable and inexcusable that many are ignorant 
of and insensitive to the spiritual conseq-
uences of marital problems.  Bad marriages can hinder pray-
ers (1 Pet. 3:7), lessin our spiritual influence in the home and
in the community, and send souls to hell.  The good news is
that problems have answers -- even family problems.  Further-
more, family problems can be solved quickly, and families can
"live happily ever after" if both spouses determine they want
a good home and seek godly counsel.  I have seen families on
the brink of destruction change instantly, survive, and do well.  Make your 
home all that God intended for the home to
be!  It is not as hard as some seem to think.

     The Source Of Trouble: -- Problems and dissonance in the
home are the result when one or more family members fail to
live by God's commandments.  Failure to obey God is sin (1
Jno. 3:4).  Sometimes family members sin overtly -- they com-
mit fornication, become drunken, or abuse other family mem-
bers either physically, mentally, or emotionally.  More often
in "Christian homes" the sins are selfishness, rudeness, pride
or abandonment of God assigned duties and places.  Some-
times we are blind to our sins, or commit them because we
are ignorant of God's law.  Most of the time in "Christian Homes" we know 
when our hearts are evil, our attitudes wrong, and our deeds errant.  In 
"Christian homes," Most
family problems are not caused by lack of knowledge, but by
the failure to live the way we have been taught to live in Christ.  All sin 
is destructive; andy sin can condemn our soul
to hell; no sin enhances the home.  For the sake of souls, as
well as the sake of homes, family problems need to be solved.

     If sin is the cause of family problems, and it primarily is,
then repentance and forgiveness are the answers.  It's that
simple!  Furthermore, repentance and forgiveness can be
instantaneous; a family can turn things around and immediat-
ely start on the road to recovery; however, family participants
must be genuinely interested in the welfare of their souls and
in fixing the problems.

     The Demand Of Repentance: -- Repentance and forgive-
ness demand we cease our sins -- all of them, even selfish-
ness, rudeness, etc.  If we repend and seek forgiveness, we
should say it (Lk. 17:3).  Furthermore, when a family member
repents and seeks forgiveness, other family members have no choice, if they 
wish to please God and build a good home,
but to forgive -- then and there.  If forgiven, past offenses
are not to be reintroduced and rehashed with each new offen-
se or disagreement.  Get over them and go forward.  True
repentance also demands the "fruits worthy of repentance"
(Matt. 3:8).  New offenses should diminish, but patience will
be a virtue.  There may be new issues with which to deal be-
cause there are not perfect couples and because old habits
die hard.  When we realize we are erring or following a famil-
iar path that has led to problems in the past, we must stop,
then and there, admit it, and make amends.  We have to do
these things if we want to get to heaven and if we want to 
restore peace and order to the home.  We will do these things
if we genuinely want to please God and "live happily ever after."

     The Final Answer: -- The answer to the pandemic of family
problems is a return to Biblical principles -- knowing them and living them.  
Homes built on the sure foundation of God's
Word do not break apart and are not doomed to misery.  Fami-
ly problems can be avoided if we start right and finish right.
Family problems can be solved if we make the necessary cor-
rections.  Remember: it is your choice, your home, and your
soul.   ------- Harold Hancock in Biblical Insights, Vol. 6, No. 8,
Aug. 2006.
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