My wife and I are getting really close to being empty nesters. It seems to have crept up on us like a deadly ninja in the dark with no remorse or compassion.
I know some people get very excited about this stage of their family life. But if I’m being honest, I’m bummed about it. It came way too fast.
It doesn’t seem like that long ago when all my kids were running around in diapers, drinking juice boxes, and watching cartoons. Well, they still drink juice boxes and watch cartoons. Actually, I watch cartoons like all sane people. But thankfully, the diapers are gone.
The bottom line is I’m a family guy. I love having my wife and kids around. I live for family barbeques and birthday parties. I want to be around for special events, award ceremonies, game nights, weddings, and so much more. I am a family guy!
I don’t believe my love for family is something I instilled in myself. I think it’s a gift from God. No one loves the family more than he does. He is where every family finds its origin.
Family started with God being the creator of men and women.
In the book of Genesis, God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:26-27)
Currently, there are almost eight billion people on the planet. And God created each man and woman according to his plan. This is the beginning of every family.
Then God created marriage.
Again, in the creation account, God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky, and all the wild animals. But for Adam no suitable helper was found.
So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:18-25)
Because of God’s love for family, he designed men and women to come together in marriage so that the two would become one. But he didn’t stop there.
Then God created the family.
Genesis 1:28 says, “Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”
God loves family so much that he wanted a man and a woman to come together in marriage and have babies. So much so that he blessed them with the ability to do just that.
In a culture that’s trying to redefine the term family, you need to know that the family finds its origin, and ultimately its blessing, in God alone. And if you want to walk in that blessing, you must walk by his design.
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