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Friends United Meeting |
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January/February 2004
Challenges of the 21st Century
Christian Quaker Family
Christian Quaker Family
By John Muhanji
What can a child born into the average 21st century African home expect? In many cases he may expect to be raised at least at some point by a single parent due to an increase in divorce and immorality (AIDS/HIV). It is possible that she will spend much time in a childcare center in her early life or he may experiment with sex, drugs or alcohol at a young age.
Much of this child's thinking may be warped by pornography and perversion constantly promoted by the media. With the modern values of humanism and the new morality, he may be left confused and uncertain about his purpose in life and perhaps may contemplate suicide.
Despite these negative prospects, there is a much brighter outlook — the child may be born into a Christian family. An ungodly society is not a new phenomenon. We live "in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation" (Philippians 2:15) just as in the first century. In dark times it will be Christian families that shine like beacons. Kenya is loosely considered a Christian country and most would see themselves as belonging to Christian homes, but what are the elements that are needed in order for ours to be a genuinely Christian home?
Christ Must Be Lord
A home may have proper discipline, a certain morality, love and its members
may even be Christians, yet Christ still might not be its Lord. Yes, sadly,
even members of the Lord's Church have set up idols, lords and gods that
come before Christ and His Church, such as the following four:
In a materialistic society, people spend more time than necessary trying to provide things for their demanding families. Families may possess abundant wealth but are not living abundantly. Only Christ gives life — an abundant, rich, full life. We cannot profess to be a Christian and put the desire for wealth before the Lord, even if it is to gain things for our families. "You cannot serve God and money." (Luke 16:13)
To live for self holds no great reward and certainly no eternal one. We must deny self to follow Christ and He must be in control of our lives or we will be servants to sin. "I Want it All and I Want it Now" is the approach that some take, the song title of a band called Queen (whose lead singer died of AIDS because of the pursuit of worldly lusts). No family will have a Christian home if they put themselves and their ungodly addictions above the Lord for they will become "lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God." (2 Timothy 3:4) Let us deny "ungodliness and worldly lusts" and "live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world." (Titus 2:12)
Christians, perhaps often without realizing it, have made recreation their lord. Guy N. Woods, wrote in The Christian and Recreation: "...professing Christians do not hesitate to forsake the assembly of the church to lie in the sun on public beaches, to fish in the lakes of the land, and to play golf on the fairways. Some of these seek to satisfy the conscience by a quick stop on the way to the beach for worship or by carrying the 'emblems of the supper' with them."
Other Christians are too tired to come to worship and will tell you so. Could we even think of giving such a lazy and inappropriate excuse to our employers? Yet Christ is supposed to be first in our lives. We must seek first His kingdom and not forsake the assembling of ourselves together.
The home and family cannot come before Christ. Parents who place money, sensual lusts, recreation or family before Christ cannot expect to raise faithful children. Christ must be the Lord in our home in the 21st century. Don Campbell, in "What is a Christian Home?" says:
"If Christ is Lord in a family, he will be the Lord of the recreation time as well as the assembly time. He will be Lord of the made money as well as the contribution. In short, he will be Lord of all. Lord of our money, our time, our talent, and that 24 hours a day, 365 days a year...Christ and his will are considered when vocations, vacations, budgets, houses, dress, and recreation are planned."
Heaven Must Be Its Goal
Most parents have goals for their children. Perhaps they want them to
take over the family business, to be great athletes or have outstanding
educations. Most desire their children to become well-liked, well-mannered,
well-balanced, happy adults. These may be fine goals but parents in a
Christian family should always place one goal above all others —
that every family member be prepared for their heavenly home. Nothing
else matters more than this. Children will understand this goal when parents
attend church, read the Bible, pray and engage in family devotionals.
Children learn by their teaching and practice that spiritual matters are
far more important than good marks at school or an ability to play cricket.
If the parents choose or allow their child to choose another activity
above the church, which will the child think is more important? Heaven
holds all to the truly Christian family.
"Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." (Colossians 3:2) "For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ." (Philippians 3:20)
The Bible Must Be Its Guide
Just as goals are important so it is that standards and rules are needed
in all facets of life — government, business, sport, church and family.
The worldly family may take their standards for conduct, dress, and opinions
from the world, such as traditions, friends, television, fashion magazines
and celebrities. The standard for the truly Christian family, however,
is the Word of God. The last century has seen amazing progress in health,
wealth, science, education, medicine, transportation and industry, but
it has also seen an equally amazing decline in moral standards and knowledge
of God's Word. We must not lower our standards to meet those of the world's
or even to be satisfied with marginally higher standards than the world's.
Wayne Jackson noted in 1979, "It is absolutely safe to say that the average person of our day knows far less about the Bible than the common [person] of a half-century past."
The Bible is the best handbook on raising children, the greatest textbook for a happy marriage and the finest manual on successful family living. The Bible says we have a standard and God has always required parents to instruct their children in the ways of the Lord. This means that parents must know the Bible themselves before they can teach their children. God's Word is the standard for the family's morals. God has given us the standard and authority; the Bible is our guide.
Love Must Be Its Bond
It is only natural that family members love each other; this is what the
Bible calls "natural affection." Love is "the bond of perfectness."
(Colossians 3:14) Without love the Christian family is nothing. Is it
possible that we have Christ as Lord of our family, Heaven as the goal
for our family, the Bible as the guide for our family, and not have love?
Not really, because love sums up and binds the previous three together.
When we realize that Christ loved us enough to die for us, we will love
Him enough to take Him as our Lord. When we truly love others, we will
do our best to help them go to heaven. In our love for Christ, we understand
we must keep His commandments found in the Bible.
In today's world things are often turned around, and good is called evil and evil is called good, just as it was in Isaiah's day. (Isaiah 5:20) John Stacy states: "What God called sin, we call sickness. What God called drunkenness, we call alcoholism. What God called perversion, we call an alternate lifestyle. What God called immorality, we call the new morality. What God called pornography, we call adult entertainment. What God called murder, we call abortion."
Humanism tells us that Christ, Heaven, the Bible and love for God are old and outdated concepts. The world changes but Christ does not. Heaven will never fade away, the Word of God endures forever and love never fails. The 21st century home needs that which does not change — eternal principles that stand the test of time.
John A. Muhanji is the Finance Director for AQUAVIS, Kenya, Africa.
Copyright (c) 2004 Friends United Meeting
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