I am so thankful for the time that I am able to spend with my family. In the busyness of life, it is easy to forgo these important times. At creation, God instituted the family. As a result, it stands as a bedrock of society. When a society devalues the family, the road to societal collapse begins. If we are to live differently as Christians, it is vital that we value the family.

First, we must value our immediate family. Husbands and wives, value one another. Ephesians 5 informs us that our marital relationship is a picture of the gospel. Husband, value your wife. Take an interest in her interests whether they are something you particularly enjoy or not. Date your wife. It saddens me to see so many Christian husbands who do not value their wives enough to set aside time to take them on a date. It doesn’t need to be somewhere expensive. Some of the best dates my wife and I have been on have been to McDonald’s or the local diner for pie and coffee. Help her with housework. It is not “the wife’s job.” It’s your job to serve her. Wives, gladly serve your husband. Don’t be a nag. Don’t harp on him. Don’t take your emotions out on him. Love him in spite of his mistakes. Value one another. Parents, value your children. The time is quickly coming when they will be out of the home. Value the fact that life is a little louder with them around. Value the times they ask you to “look at this.” Spend intentional time with them. Don’t see them as a distraction. That “distraction” will be gone soon enough.

Second, we must value our extended family. This can be harder at times but is no less important. The command to honor our parents does not have a time constraint to it. Take time to talk to them. Help them with their needs. Value their advice. Value your siblings and their families. We all know that family can be challenging. But it is the front lines for our gospel example. So don’t dread the family gatherings. Be thankful for them. Ask God to allow you to be a blessing to them and receive a blessing from them.

Society continues to devalue the family. Parents are encouraged to farm out the raising of their children to others. Husbands and wives are seen as the “old ball and chain” that weigh us down. Extended family is to be tolerated at best. Yet, without the family unit, society degrades. See your family as a gift from God to be valued and nurtured. And watch God work in your own life to grow you through your family. May we be known as different for our relationships with our family.