families under fire
>> May 5, 2010
Do you ever feel like your family is under fire? Well, that’s because it is. Satan is attacking families, especially pastoral families. We, and the families in our churches, are battling financial stress, work pressures, infidelity and abuse. We are dealing with addictions, safety concerns, health problems and special needs. And probably the most pressing, but the most challenging, is raising our children in a difficult world.
Why does Satan target families? Because that is where it hurts. Because that is where we are most vulnerable. Because that is where he can be the most destructive. He knows that a family is where we build our society, where we develop our sense of self, and where we are affirmed and loved. A family is where we strengthen each other, where we transmit our values and faith, and where we shape the future. If our family life is hurting, it is hard to function successfully in other areas of our lives.
The Bible shares with us in Malachi 4:7:
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”
This text predicts family troubles and break downs at the end of time, but it also offers HOPE!
I am offering a series at our church, as part of an evangelistic series, entitled Families Living with Hope. We are focusing on strengthening and encouraging families. I thought I would share with you in my next several posts some of what I am sharing in my series. And hopefully it will help you in your own families first, but also in dealing with hurting families in your churches.
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