Acceptable Stewardship in the Family

Messages for August 2018: Our Month of Stewardship

Message for Sunday 19^th August, 2018

Theme: Exploring the Adventures of Stewardship

Topic: Acceptable Stewardship in the Family

Minister: Brother Olumide Onadipe 

Introduction: We have learnt in the past weeks that God wants us to render acceptable stewardship to Him in every area of our lives. Heb.12:28

Today our focus is on acceptable stewardship in the family.

The family

"Family” means a group of people who are closely related by birth, marriage, or adoption. It could also be defined as a group of people living together and functioning as a single household, usually consisting of parents (man and wife) and their children.

Marriage was instituted by God (Gen 2:24; Eph 5:31; Mk 10:7) and part of the blessings of marriage is the fruit of the womb (children) Ps.127:3. Gen 1:27-28 says ‘Then God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it, ….”

Everything God created has design order.  In Eph.5:1-2 God gave the whole family a general instruction to follow His ways and imitate Christ. – Walk in love.

God’s design order for every family unit is:

Christ – Husband – Wife – Children, in that order.  1 Corin.11:3

At the same time God has designed a role that each family member has to play.

The Husband

Eph 5:25 -29

1.    He is the leader of his home, the head of his wife, but first must submit to the headship of Christ. He is to give direction to his family, in line with God’s plan. See Eph. 5:23 & 1 Co 11:3.  As the leader, he should not be controlling or acting like a tyrant.  He should use his leadership to love his wife.

2.    He must love his wife sincerely with all his heart, just like Christ loved the church. His love must be realistic. Jesus laid down His life for the Church; the husband is to do likewise.  That is sacrificial and selfless love. Eph.5:23-25; Col.3:19.

3.    His love for his wife must be purposeful.  He should cultivate her by bringing out the best in her. Make her a better believer in Christ. Encourage her to pursue her calling.  Eph.5:26-27

4.    His love must be personal.  To love her like he loves himself.  He must take good care of her, provide and protect her. Eph.5:28-29.  To love his wife he should also show compassion and do what it takes to make her feel his presence.  He should listen to her and let her be part of his world.

5.    The husband is also to accord his wife respect and honour and live with her with understanding, as she also shares the gift of the grace of life.  By doing this his prayers will not be hindered.  This means that you cannot maltreat or misuse her in anyway. 1 Pe 3:7. 

The Wife

Eph 5:22 -24 

1.    She is a helper to her husband – Gen. 2:18.  She is to help and encourage him.

2.    Eph 5:22-24 says, “Wives, submit yourself unto your own husbands as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church and he is the savior of the body”. The word, submit has become a controversial word with women because it is perceived to mean to become a slave.  The true meaning is to yield to governance or authority, to yield oneself to the authority or will of another; to surrender. The wife’s duty is to come under the authority of her husband, as she does for the Lord.  The husband is under the authority of Christ and should be led by the Lord, therefore the wife should submit to the authority of her husband for he is her covering. Col.3:18. She is however to treat the man with great respect and love.

3.    She is valuable to her husband and family: she cares for those who need her, provides for her family, protects them, and shares her strength with others. She fulfills her responsibilities with grace and strength. She is a blessing to her husband. She is worth more than rubies (Prov.31:10-31). Proverbs 18:22 says “Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing and obtaineth favour of the Lord.

 Husband and Wife

Training the Children- Prov.22:6:  

1.    Both parents must work together in unity to train the children and not provoke them to anger (leading them to rebel by dominant, loose, or unfair leadership). Parents must demonstrate godly leadership that models Christ, teaches the children God’s Word, and draws them to a closer relationship with the Lord (Eph.6:4; Col.3:21; Deut.6:6-9).  We must teach them how to think, talk and live right.

2.    The parents are just caretakers of children, as they belong to God.  We must give account of how we trained them (Ps.127:3).

3.    Abraham trained his children in obedience to God’s commandment, thereby he rendered acceptable stewardship (Gen.18:18-19).  Likewise, Mary and Joseph in training Jesus (Luke 2:41-52).

4.     To train up a child includes discipline and this is the responsibility of the parent.  Refusal to discipline your child is setting him up for destruction.  Like in the case of Eli’s two sons (Phinehas and Hophni) who were destroyed.  Their father knew about their immorality, yet he was complacent and refused to discipline them (1 Sam. 3:13).

5.     In training our children, there are 4 areas to focus on and these include Wisdom (spiritual equipment), Stature (physical and emotional development) and in favour with God and Man (Luke 2:52)

The Children

Every child is instructed to obey their parents in the Lord; honour and respect them so that it may be well with them and that they may live long on the earth (Eph.6:1-3; Col.3:20).

Conclusion

In summation each family unit has a role to play. The husband is to love his wife as himself.  The wife is to respect her husband.  Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.  The children are to obey their parents and both parents are to train their children in the way of the Lord (Eph 5:21, 33).  When we obey the instructions of the Lord and do it with a sincere heart, we will be rendering acceptable stewardship in the family to the glory of God.