Roles of Family Members
Every member of the family has God’s ordained roles to play for love, harmony, progress and peaceful co-existence of the family.
The failure of any member of the family to play his or her role will make the family not to be what God planned for it.
Role of Children
Children are to obey their parents in the fear of God. That is, the children’s obedience to the parents should be in agreement with the word of God. They are also to honour; respect their parents so that it will be well with them and so that they may live long on the earth.
Role of Fathers and Mothers
They are to take care of the children, provide for them and not to provoke them, but to nurture and admonish the children in truth i.e. they are to train them to be disciplined children, instruct them with the word of God.
Role of Servants/Wards
They are to be obedient to the masters with fear and trembling, serving in singleness of heart and without eye-service. Their service should be as to the Lord Jesus Christ and not as to men, or men-pleasers, but as servants of the Lord Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. The service they render should be of good will as to the Lord who will reward them accordingly for well doing.
Role of Wives
They are to be subject and submissive to their husbands in everything as the church is subject and submissive unto Christ the head of the church. Wives are to recognize their husbands as the head of the family. They are to also respect and reverence their husbands.
Role of Husbands
They are to love their wives sacrificially as Christ loved the church and died for it. Husbands are to care, cherish and relish their wives as their own bodies, since no man ever hates his own flesh. It is Gods command that the man should leave his father and mother and cleave unto his own wife so that both of them can become one flesh.
EVALUATION
- Mention one role of the; (i) children (ii) father (iii) mother (iv) servants.
The Concept of Good Family Name
The concept of a good family name is manifested by the character, virtues and the up-bringing of members of the family. Normally, family good name is not bought with money, but comes as a result of good reputation shown by the members. This include hardworking, discipline, honesty, respect for other, politeness, courtesy, kindness, public spiritedness, assistance to others especially the needy etc.
On the other hand, family good name is tarnished and destroyed by vices like waywardness of children, fighting, drunkenness, immorality, robbery either by pen or by gun, cultism and such anti-social behavior portrayed by the members of the family.
The Bible has this to say, “A good name is to be chosen, rather than great riches, and favour is better than silver or gold”. Proverbs 22:1.
Moral Lessons
The plan of God is for all members of the family to live peacefully together. Therefore, anything that can lead to trouble or break up of the family should be avoided.
All members of the family are to play their roles with the progress of the family in view.
Every member of the family should protect the good name of the family, because a good name is better than silver and gold.
EVALUATION
- Why is it necessary to protect your family name?
- List three members of the nuclear family and their roles.
- How can a family have a good name? Mention some things that can give a bad name to the family.
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