Harmony at home (1)

Without harmony on the home front, all your successes can feel empty. Anytime you find it easier to talk to outsiders than to your own family, something’s broken—and urgently needs fixing. God designed your family to be a support system, and a safety net to catch you when you fall. And His Word gives us the prescription for creating harmony at home: ‘Always be humble and gentle. Patiently put up with each other and love each other. Try your best to let God’s Spirit keep your hearts united. Do this by living at peace.’ (Ephesians 4:2–3 CEV) Note four important words in this Scripture: ‘humble’, ‘gentle’, ‘patiently’, and ‘united’. Without those essential ingredients, it won’t work!

So start praying for your children instead of just laying down rules that create distance when you don’t see eye to eye. You won’t always agree, but you can learn to value, love, and respect each other. Every family has its ups and downs—and every family tree has a few nuts! But if you bail out when things get tough, you’ll miss the harvest you could have reaped by hanging on. For example, sometimes the child that ends up blessing you the most is the one who didn’t necessarily agree with your ideas, or embrace your values, or marry the person you thought they should have. Yes, it’s upsetting, but in the long run none of that matters because family is a life-long investment. Some of those who opt for divorce end up wishing they had hung on a little longer, and had loved a little bit more. Make sure you’re not one of them!