Family has been described as “the glue which holds the fabric of society together”. The importance of family support cannot be underestimated, and family members are often the people who impact us the most. I can think back to happy and formative times as a child, playing with siblings, going on holidays together and visiting grandparents. My family have influenced who I am today.
Families matter to society and to individuals, but they also matter to God. At the beginning of the Bible, God states, “It is not good that man should be alone” (Genesis 2.18). Following this, God instituted the first marriage and founded the first family. Throughout the Bible, God seeks to strengthen families. Husbands are encouraged to love their wives, children to obey parents, and parents to train up their children in the right paths. The Bible contains many real-life examples of both happy and divided families.
A central theme of the Bible is how God moved to bless all the families of the earth through a man called Abraham. God promised him that blessing would come to every family and nation through one of his descendants. The Bible traces Abraham’s family line to this Man, the Lord Jesus Christ.
You might wonder how one Man could bring blessing to all nations. Acts 3.26 says that God sent Jesus “to bless you in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.” The greatest blessing we can receive is forgiveness from sin and freedom from its slavery. Our sins keep us at a distance from God and threaten to doom us for eternity. We all know the disturbing reality of the lust, pride, greed and hypocrisy found in our hearts. The Lord Jesus died for these sins. He bore the punishment our sins deserve so that we can go free and have peace with God. He rose again and offers eternal life to all who turn from their sin and place their faith in Him.
This is the key message of the Bible – that God has acted to bring blessing to all who will repent and trust the Lord Jesus. Although this is done on an individual basis, God wants every member of every family to benefit (Acts 16.31; 1 Timothy 2.4). When my great-grandfather turned to Christ, he had no idea of the blessings that would flow to his wider family. His salvation brought a complete change to our family ethos, which led to generation after generation choosing to trust the Lord Jesus.
Families matter to God. You matter to God. His offer to bless all nations of the world is still open and is freely extended to you.
