The Spiritual Importance of the Family (Part I of II)
Dr. James Dobson wrote in his book, Straight Talk, concerning his children: I wondered what memories will predominate in their minds when I lie at the point of death, a moment or two from now. What will they remember to be the happiest experiences of their lives? Will they recall a busy father who was preoccupied with writing books and catching planes and answering mail and taking phone calls and being a “big man”? Or will they recall a patient dad who took time to love them and teach them and enjoy the beauty of God’s world with them?
Several years ago, a nationwide survey was taken to determine how much time fathers were spending with their children. The results revealed that fathers with children between the ages of two and 12 were spending 12 minutes a day with their children. Twelve-minute dads contribute greatly to 12-year-old delinquents.
True fathers are precious few and increasingly hard to find. That fact is well documented in today’s schools, divorce courts, prisons, jails and the welfare systems. With a 1,420 percent increase in the divorce rate since 1920, nearly 20 million children are now growing up without any father in the home. Many social ills — poor performance at school, truancy, poverty, welfare dependency, juvenile violence, gang warfare — have been connected to the lack of a strong two-parent influence upon children.
Deuteronomy 4:9; Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep your soul lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren.
Moses encourages the Israelites to be cautious, to be watchful, to “take heed of yourself.” Moses reminds the Jewish nation to be ever mindful of their eternal interests. He says whatever happens to the body, always take care of the soul, or “diligently keep your soul” (KJV).
The great law giver, Moses, urges these Jewish moms, dads, grandmothers, grandfathers, and all the rest of this emerging nation to never forget, and to teach the children and grandchildren to never forget, what God had done for them, including the miracles God performed right before their very eyes. For once God is forgotten, said Moses, God is forgotten for a lifetime.
Today, a parent trying to teach their child that the most important part of life is God would find little or no support for such thinking in American culture. Our nation has forgotten the many blessings God has bestowed on this land and relegated our Lord to a tiny, insignificant corner of society. Fathers and mothers, and grandparents, who love the Lord must fight a daily battle for the minds and souls of their children and grandchildren. Children seldom hear or see Christianity presented positively on the radio, TV, through music and movies, and advertising. But Moses thunders, “Don’t quit believing and teach the ways of the Lord to not only your children, but to your grandchildren.”
Next week: Wise words from the 1830's concerning family and faith, considered, in the conclusion to “The Spiritual Importance of the Family.”
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Chris Voss is a pastor at First Christian Church, 317 S. Main, Donna.