Make Your Family a Safe Haven

Posted on January 16, 2013 by ideacreamanuela

Having no natural affection. With

those sad words, the Bible describes many people of our time, a period called the last days. (2 Timothy 3:1, 3, 4) The epidemic of child abuse in the family furnishes vivid proof of the truth of that prophecy.

A Family United by Love Love, the Bible tells us, is a perfect bond of union. (Colossians 3:14) As described in the Bible, love is not simply a feeling. It is defined by the way it motivatesby the conduct it prompts and the deeds it forbids. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8) In the family, showing love means treating each member with dignity, respect, and kindness. It means living in harmony with Gods view of each family member. God gives each one an honorable and important role. As the family head, the father is to take the lead in showing love. He understands that a Christian father is not given license to be a tyrant, abusing his power over his wife or children. Rather, he looks to Christ as his example in headship. (Ephesians 5:23, 25) So he is tender and loving with his wife and patient and gentle with his children. He loyally protects them and gives his all to prevent anything from happening that might rob them of their peace, their innocence, or their sense of trust and safety. Likewise, the wife and mother has a role of vital importance and dignity. The Bible uses the protective instincts of mothers in the animal kingdom to illustrate how protective Jehovah and Jesus can be. (Matthew 23:37) A human mother should likewise be staunchly protective of her children. Lovingly, she is quick to put their safety and well-being ahead of her own. The parents do not allow abuse of power, bullying, or intimidation to enter into their dealings with each other or with their children; nor do they allow their children to use such tactics on one another. As each family member treats the others with respect and dignity, good communication thrives. Granted, we live in a wicked world and not all abuse can be prevented. Even so a safe home can make a world of difference. If some member of the family is hurt outside the home,

he or she knows just where to run for comfort and sympathy. Such a home is truly a refuge, a safe haven in a troubled world. May God bless your efforts to make your family just like that! AWAKE!, 10 2007 See also: How to Make Your Family Life Happy, available for download at www.jw.org Photo Credit: Tetra Images Royalty-Free Press This Share this: Twitter1 Digg Reddit Print Pinterest Email StumbleUpon LinkedIn1 Google +1 Facebook Tumblr