Family First!

I read the following note which reminded me of a dire need for our present day society: "Everyone talks about leaving a better planet for our children? Why doesn't any one try to leave better children for our planet?" Abraham comes to my mind in this regard whom I admire as a model of family-values more than a model of faith! See what God testifies about Abraham in Genesis 18:19, even before the birth of his promised son, Isaac. He says: “For I have chosen him (Abraham), so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him." Can God testify about us, the God-chosen parents, the same way?

Abraham - A Model in Parenting
Isaac and the rest of the household saw a model of righteousness and justice in Abraham. Than any monetary assets, modelling of values by parents remain in kid's lives forever, though/if not immediately. Also according to this verse, the promises of God to Abraham is seen here to fulfill only after God found Abraham eligible of fulfilling his "family-role" of passing Godly values to the next generation. Passing of Godly values to our kids is one truth told in many places in the Bible!

Deuteronomy 6: 6-9 offers practical tips of how parents can pass Godly values: "These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates." How much of this command happens in our homes today? What are some creative ways through which we can impress God’s commands to our children today? To me, Abraham is a model in parenting than anything else!

Abraham - A Model in Family-Values
Look at this aspect in Abraham’s life where he was truly righteous and just! Haran was the brother of Abraham. After the death of Haran, we find Abraham including Lot, the son of Haran as a member of his own family. God blessed Abraham and Lot to that extent that there was a time that the earth could not hold both of their wealth. So when it came to parting of land, we see Abraham’s generosity in asking Lot for his first choice. Lot chose Sodom and Gomorrah which looked good to his eyes, but happened to be wicked places. God decided to destroy these cities (Genesis 13:6-12). Even at this juncture, it was Abraham who pleaded for the lives of his nephew and his family. So Lot's clan was saved from perishing (Genesis 18:20-33)). We see Abraham loving his nephew amazingly in every regard!

In today’s nuclear family set up, love for kith and kin is narrowing down. How much of ‘giving up of privileges’ happen in our families? And do we pray for their lives to be saved from perishing? To me, Abraham is a model of a man of family-values, than anything else!

Parenting, Passing of Godly values are some Pressing needs for our Planet. What should come first in our lives today? I would say, for God's sake, "Family First!"