Messy families

Family Day is in a week, a holiday in the midst of winter, at the middle of a school season.  As a member of a family that is like many others - busy, often running from one thing to the next.... a long weekend is a welcome concept.

I'm grateful that a holiday has been put in place to honour the family; to draw attention to the importance of time together.  As Christian schools, we have traditionally set as central the fact that 'God has ordained and blessed the institution of the family. Generations are honoured, families are blessed, covenantal promises are fulfilled.' (Reference - Ray Hendriks 'Thoughts on Family Day' https://goo.gl/sqvril)

As Christians, we have often idolised the family, though.  Social media has presented opportunities to further perpetuate the myth that our families are perfect and that if you are a believer, your family will be a picture of harmony.

Jon Bloom, a writer at desiringGod.org highlights something I've often seen peculiar:  "Why is the Bible loud on sinfully dysfunctional families and quiet on harmonious families?  Well, for one thing, most families aren't harmonious. Humanity is not harmonious. We are alienated — alienated from God and each other. So put alienated, selfish sinners together in a home, sharing possessions and the most intimate aspects of life, having different personalities and interests, and a disparate distribution of power, abilities, and opportunities, and you have a recipe for a sin-mess.  But there's a deeper purpose at work in this mess. The Bible's main theme is God's gracious plan to redeem needy sinners. It teaches us that what God wants most for us is that we 1) become aware of our sinfulness and 2) our powerlessness to save ourselves, as we 3) believe and love his Son and the gospel he preached, and 4) graciously love one another. And it turns out that the family is an ideal place for all of these to occur."  https://goo.gl/0VzyhZ

 

Here's praying that your (messy?) Family Day can be one where you experience God's grace among sinfulness, confession, forgiveness, and love.  Through your family, our schools and community are blessed!!