Psalms 127

Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, To sit up late, To eat the bread of sorrows; For so He gives His beloved sleep.  ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭127:1-2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

The first part of this Scripture addresses how God wants to be the FOUNDATION of your family.  This does not mean that you include Him into your family life on Sunday mornings, holidays, and when it’s convenient or you feel that it’s appropriate.  This means that God is the center of your home life and that He has input in everything that occurs.  His influence should permeate throughout your house in the words that are used, the actions that take place, the thoughts and attitudes that everyone has, the tones that are used when communicating, the plans that are made…everything!  Families that are built upon the solid foundation of God’s Word are families that experience joy, peace, love, forgiveness and the resilience to overcome any difficulty.  “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock” (Matthew 7:24-27).  God also promises to reward families that truly build their lives together with God as their center: “Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to Him.  You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours.  Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table” (Psalm 128:1-3).  The second part of this Scripture warns against working too hard at the expense of your family life.  It is true that hard work is encouraged by God.  Proverbs 13:4 says:  “Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper.”  There is a limit, however, to the amount of work that is helpful and healthy for a family.  Families need time to rest.  Families need time to spend together.  Families need time to have fun together.  Families need time to pray and worship God together.  Families need time to talk to each other.  The bottom line is that families need to make time for each other in order to stay balanced and connected, and in order to stay refreshed instead of being stressed and overwhelmed.  Who has ever heard an adult son say to his father: “Dad, I sure wish you worked more to make more money for us instead of coming to watch my football, baseball, and soccer games.” Or when has an adult daughter said to her mother: “Mom, I wish you would have spent more time doing laundry and cleaning the house instead of spending time with me.”  Trust God that He will provide for you and the needs of your family, with both enough money and enough time to get everything necessary done.  Families were created by God, and they are extremely important to Him. 

Honor God by making sure that your family is firmly seated upon the rock of Jesus, and remember to protect the health of your family by taking the time to rest, pray, and spend time together.