Friday, October 12, 2012

The House of the Righteous Shall Stand

"The wicked are overthrown, and are not: but the house of the righteous shall stand." 
Proverbs 12:7

It used to be said that the typical American parent wanted for his children that they would be happy, prosperous, and successful, and that their children would "have it better" than they had it.

I think any normal parent still wants these same things for his children, but as Christians, we know that the means by which we attain these things (happiness, prosperity, and success) is very different from that which the world promotes.

The world says wealth.  The world says fame.  The world says power.  The world says comfort and ease.

The world promises that if you attain one or more of these things, you will be happy, prosperous, and successful.  She has indoctrinated us to believe that these things are the purpose for which we live and the ultimate goal to be achieved.

But I want my house to stand--that's what I want!

All around us, families are crumbling.  Abuse.  Violence.  Unfaithfulness.  Cheating.  Drugs.  Lies and deceit.  Godlessness.  Greed.  Anger and hatred.  Confusion.  Depression.  Anxiety.  Fear.

These are the words that describe the overwhelmingly increasing percentage of American "families" in the 21st century.

But I want my family to stand.

What a deeply sad tragedy to see the vast majority of families crumbling in a nation that has all the necessary resources to ensure their success!

America has the heritage--the infrastructure--the foundation--to make her families flourish like they did generations ago.  But the American family is crumbling...breaking...dissolving.

But I want my children to stand.

The principles of the Bible teach us the ways of wisdom.  And the ways of wisdom--true wisdom--God's wisdom--ensure solid footing and the strength to stand!

Let's teach our children how to live righteously.  Let's teach them to work hard, to tell the truth, and the keep their word.  Let's model for them an example of moral integrity and marital faithfulness that they might follow our lead.  Let's point them to the Word of God as they learn to make decisions, and by obeying God's Word ourselves, let's prove to them that it's always best to follow God even when we don't understand Him.  Let's remind our children that sin and wickedness should never be a part of our entertainment and leisure.  Let's be sure to give them love, and teach them to love.  Let's keep God preeminent in our homes.

God's promise to us is that if righteousness prevails in our house, our house will stand.  Come what may, a righteous family will stand.  Despite persecution.  Despite economic collapse.  If our children will learn to do right, they will stand.

Some day, I hope to look back on my life and see that my marriage stood.  I hope to see that my family didn't crumble, but that it stood.  I hope to see that my children weren't whisked away by the seduction of this world, but that they stood.  That my house would stand--that's what I want!

"Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock." 
(Matthew 7:24-25)

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