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Family is one of the greatest gifts God gave to man, it alludes to our beginning.  Every individual we see or meet was a result of a man and a woman becoming a father and mother.

When Jesus made the statement in Matthew 19:5v.-6v. about when a man leaves his or her father and mother and unites with their spouse, this then is a marriage and when a child comes into the picture this physically places them to the status of “one flesh” and this makes the family.

Family was the second institution while marriage was the first, and the church was the third, as ordained by God. The church should never come before the marriage or family. However, the church should be an importance factor in both the marriage and family.  This was God’s plan from the very beginning.  With man being created a free moral agent with choice, family was the resource of his/her teachings.

Family is a product of communication and relationships.  Communication is a method of passing information from one individual to another, whether it is to encourage, correct, educate, comfort, or rebuke.  For these are building blocks that can construct a very good and positive life/ family.

When we look at relationships, it can be a good or bad.  This basically hinges on how well we communicate to others and how well others are receptive to us.

Good communication and relationships should have its place in every family, this becomes the driving force, and the power source.  This is basically being there for family, technically speaking, family should be the easiest to help, mainly because they know you and you know them.  When you are branches or leaves from the same family tree you know to some degree what’s adaptable to the family member/ members that needs support.

Because the relationship is good from you to them, you can communicate what’s needed and available to them.  Taking that extra step, or that extra time out to help people in general is always great especially when they are family.

Whose family you were born into was God’s decision.  I’ve even heard people make the statement “I was born into the wrong family.”

Frustration will sometimes cause one to make such statements.  We must know and understand that every family is not perfect, we are not perfect.

Therefore, one should never want to sell out or disown the family tree they originated from, to do so, one is basically saying God made a mistake.

In Exodus 20:12v., Moses explains how long life is given upon the earth, and it’s through the institution of family that such blessings are issued.

David explains in Psalms 127:3v. that children which makes up a family are a heritage from the Lord.

James 1:17v. explains all that is perfect and good only comes from the Lord.

David in Psalms 68:6v. explains those that are lonely or seems to be disgusted or even feel like they are somewhat in prison, God can lead them out just as He led the Israelites out of bondage.

 God through family can lead you to green pastures and still waters.

And yes, that man, woman, boy and girl that makes up our family is a good and perfect gift that was sent by the Lord from Heaven. This is also what makes it powerful.

Stewart Ham is the pastor at New Life Ministries Inc. in Aurora.