Messy Families

I spend time regularly with my family for spaghetti dinner. My mother and my husband were there, along with our children, grandchildren, and a great-grandchild. It would be noisy and fun. We would enjoy our dinner and would sit around laughing and talking. As with other families, ours has been marked by divorce and inheritance squabbles that had pitted people at the table against one another. “Don’t be angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life” (Genesis 45:5, NIV). As my, family members had been known to cheat, lie to, and steal from one another. But with God's help, they were able to move beyond that. The Bible tells us to be peacemakers, to stop slander (Colossians. 3:15, NIV), to control our anger (Romans 12:19, NIV), to pay back evil with good (Romans 12:17/ 21, NIV).

As the apostle Paul says, “If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all;” (Romans 12:18, NIV), encouraging us to work for peace, especially in our families, which is a key to allowing God to work through us. And, this provides us hope that God can and will work through us especially how messy the family can be.

Profile Background:
Milinda Stephenson – (Florida, U.S.A), Upper Room Ministries

Prayer Response to this featured article:
Pray we thank God for families. Pray, we help those build a peaceful harmony with others in the family.

 

(Written by Milinda Stephenson – (Florida, U.S.A), the unrecalled date/year of published time from Upper Room Ministries)