Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By Stewart Ham

To be successful in every institution hinge upon one knowing what comes first, second, and third in lieu of their response and reactions to the institutional needs.

To be abreast of the institutions can aid one in being successful in some very important places of life.
First, let’s focus on God’s ordained institutions: marriage, family, and church. Every individual has these institutional agendas laid out before them in the very beginning of their life, even if marriage or children is a part of their life’s agenda or not.

These institutions play a large role in our walk with God and require major human interactions in all parts. The interactions one has are like having a vegetable garden; the more work that’s put in a garden the prettier it appears and the greater the harvest.

Yes! Work is the fertilizer for growing a strong marriage, a healthy, and non-dysfunctional family and a prospering ministry.

Marriage is the first institution on the list and is honorable in the sight of the Lord. It all deals with spirit of oneness. Biblically it’s one Lord, one faith, and one baptism; one husband and one wife and the two become one in mind and spirit.

As gears in an assembly of a transfer case mash together because of being timed and synchronized together, both the husband-and-wife mesh due to the love they share for one another.

My mother-in-law, Mother Mary Patrick, often told my wife and I, that a “husband and wife should be as two oxen yoked together pulling in the same direction simultaneously can move the world.” This holds true when couples are tangible building both spiritual and relational. When this happens this merits God’s favor and approval upon their lives.
Husband and wife at this point knows who should come first when it comes to their spouse verses their friends. Paul explained to the church of Ephesus in Ephesians 5:33 that the husband and wife should love each other as themselves and be respectful toward each other.

The institution of family is second. Where marriage was only limited to two individuals, family encompasses the two individuals and many more. This brings us to the term kinsman redeemer; this is where a relative that could be you operates on behalf of family/family member for the purpose of pulling them back together within the family and jump starting the relationship and interaction.

Sometimes it’s harder to deal with family than nonfamily. Family is a gift from God. It’s very important to not miss family functions. For these are given opportunities to mend, reconnect, build, maintain, and manage family connections. Always support special family annual events such as birthdays, family reunions, special cookouts, and siblings’ achievements.

One must remember when these special events go by, they do not return. I Timothy 5:8v. basically tells us if we are not willing to undertake the responsibility of a kinsman redeemer when it’s very much needed, we deny the true faith and become worse than an individual who is not saved.

When we look at the institution of the church, it’s the very last institution on the list.
One of the things I teach my families at New Growth Unlimited Ministries, Inc., is never put church in front of your marriage and or family; however, let church be an important factor in your marriage and family. You must have a balance when it comes to marriage, family, and the church. All three must be fed or they will die.

In the church you have the Pastor as the under shepherd, and the members who can be faithful, committed, and supported. As a born-again believer this is our part of the responsibility in marriage, family and church- not God. God’s part is to make it available to us all. This goes hand in hand with Paul’s statement in 1Corinthians 3:6 God brings about the increase, however our responsibilities are to plant and water.

This institution involves every and all individuals, whether they are family related or not, church member or not. This is why we label the church as the family of God. If there’s no marriage there will be no family, if there’s no family there will be no church.

Food for thought: If the marriage and family is not together, basically the church will not be together. Therefore,
it all starts with the marriage and ends with the church.

Paul explained to the church at Rome that the church is similar to a body that has many members. The diversity of members reflects the diversity of people/talents and resources that’s made available to all marriages, families, and churches in the surrounding communities both far and near. Honor God by putting Him first in prioritizing His Holy institutions.

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