Proper Care and Nurture of Family
An important element to this subject today:
• In all of our relationships it is essential for us to be self-controlled.
• Many people are very emotional in their relationships.
• Their feelings dictate how they treat those around them.
Ephesians 4:29 “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”
English Standard Version “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear”
1 Timothy 5: 1-2 “Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.”
In the Greek, rebuke, is a word that is bunched in a group of other similar words.
Admonish – To challenge or encourage
Reprimand – Direct confrontation
Scold – Express your disposal quite harshly
Rebuke – Criticize sharply
1 Timothy 5:3-8 “Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. 4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. 5 The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help. 6 But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. 7 Give the people these instructions, so that no one may be open to blame. 8 Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
Verse 6 “But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives.“
WE ARE NOT CALLED TO LIVE FOR OUR OWN PLEASURE
Ephesians 5:21 “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ:
Out of our love and devotion to Jesus:
• Wives submit to your husbands.
• Husbands submit to your wives.
Here is what Apostle Paul recognizes:
• God made men and women differently
• We receive love in different ways.
• Give love to your spouse in a way that they will receive it well
Ephesians 5:33 “However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband”
Ephesians 5:25-29 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church”
Women – How can you respect a man?
• Listen to him.
• Laugh at his jokes
• Trust the direction he wants to go.
• Make him look good in the way you talk about him with others.
• Ask him questions about things he is interested in.
• Don’t nag, criticize, or let him know his ideas are stupid
Men – How you can love a woman?
• Let her know you are thinking of her.
• Give her your attention.
• Compliment her
• Listen to her
• Be honest
• Have eyes only for her
• Take her on dates
This concept of consideration for others is throughout the Bible:
• “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought” -Romans 8
• “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. ” -Philippians 2:3-4
• “Honor one another above yourselves” -Romans 12:10
• “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others” -1 Peter 4:10
• “Do to others as you would have them do to you” -Luke 6:31
• “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due” -Proverbs 3:27
• “No one should seek their own good, but the good of others” -1 Corinthians 10:24
• “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up” -1 Thessalonians 5:11
• “A new command I give you: Love one another As I have loved you, so you must love one another” -John 13:34