God's work; family work

This is an article that I wrote for our company newspaper. This is the unedited version (kind of like the director's cut). I had to adjust it for our audience by cutting out the section on 1 Corinthians -- which made me a little sick. Apparently, our readership would not have liked Paul's teachings on abstinence. You can judge for yourself:

There is a battle today over the family. Not only are divorce rates sky-high both in and outside of the church, but also parents struggle with children who are out of control. Every week, television programs such as The Supernanny showcase families who cannot get deal with their unruly children. This is rampant in the church as well. It seems that some of the godliest workers for the kingdom have the worst kids. Why is this?

The main problem may be that children are starved for attention. Many times, parents are far too busy to stop and give their children the quality time that they need. In the church the misconception that causes this is “church work always equals God’s work.” While serving in a church as a minister or a member are important, when a Christian has a family, God has called that parent to take care of their family first.

The Apostle Paul writes a lot concerning this matter. In 1 Corinthians 7 suggests that if a Christian wants to serve the Church whole-heartedly he or she should consider not getting married. His reasoning is “An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs . . . But a married man is concerned with the things of the world” (vs. 32-33, NIV). He does not say it is wrong to get married and have a family; on the contrary, he states it as a fact that they have to be concerned with their families. In 1 Timothy he presents this as the way things should be. Deacons and overseers are to control their families – their children are to be well behaved. Paul is so passionate about parental duties that he tells Timothy, “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (5:8, NIV). This provision is more than just shelter, clothing, and food; it is the security of a loving home.

So parents, next time you are asked to serve on five committees at church, or to spearhead a new ministry, see if your children can afford to be without you. When you feel overwhelmed by church work don’t forget to take the time to tell your children how much they mean to you both with words and with your time. Sometimes God’s work is family work.