Shownotes
Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy
Welcome to Day 1353 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.
This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom
The Importance of Family – Ask Gramps
Wisdom - the final frontier to true knowledge. Welcome to Wisdom-Trek where our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before.
Hello, my friend, I am Guthrie Chamberlain, your captain on our journey to increase wisdom and create a living legacy. Thank you for joining us today as we explore wisdom on our 2nd millennium of podcasts. This is Day 1353 of our trek, and it is time for our Philosophy Friday series. Each Friday, we ponder some of the fundamental truths and mysteries of life and how they can impact us in creating our living legacy.
As we continue on this trek called life, sometimes we have questions about life, so our Friday trek is a time where we can “Ask Gramps.” Gramps will answer questions that you would like to ask your dad or granddad, but for whatever reason, this is not possible. No matter how old we are, I know that all of us would like the opportunity to ask Dad or Gramps questions about life in many areas.
We may mix it up a bit on our Friday episodes, but we will strive to keep them down to earth and enjoyable. If you have any questions that you would like to ask Gramps, please email them to guthrie@wisdom-trek.com.
So the question for this week is:
“Hey, Gramps, with so many families required to stay home and attempting to homeschool their children, I understand that it is putting a real strain on relationships between spouses and also with their children. What wise tips can you share to help those families who are struggling?”
The Importance of Family
The current situation with Covid-19 came upon us so quickly, and no one worldwide was prepared for it. The uncertainty of the eventual outcome, and the prospect of the “shelter at home” policies lasting several weeks, or possibly months, has everyone on edge. The family has always been the nucleus of society since the original creation.
We now have a heightened need for everyone, including you, to understand that your family is important and that getting along is of supreme importance. Yes, this will require self-sacrificing for each family member and that should stem from your love for each other. The family must be a place that is safe and free from hurts and heartache. Just because we are family doesn’t give anyone the right to be demeaning and disrespectful. Mother Teresa said it best:
We sometimes think that poverty is only being hungry, naked, and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved, and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty.
When a family sees each other as a gift from God and recognizes the uniqueness each one brings to the home, then and only then does it become a true sanctuary of peace and kindness and love and joy and laughter and patience and a bottomless bowl of grace.
One of the best places to see God’s intent for the family is found in Paul’s instructions to the Ephesians in Ephesians 5:21-6:4. I’ve heard it said many times that the husband is the superior person in the home, and everyone else falls into their proper places. This is not what Paul was implying at all. In fact, there must be mutual submission to each other as Ephesians 5:21 says, "And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ."
You must always understand Scripture in context. In any organization, there has to be a person who is responsible to God. In the family, the husband bears that responsibility. As a wife supports her husband, the husband has a much higher responsibility before God. Ephesians 5:25-26 reveals to us, "For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word."
To the children, Paul said to obey their parents. Ephesians 6:1 reads, "Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do." To obey, in this verse, means to honor the wishes of your parents. Godly parents will never order something to be done that will harm the child or break the spirit of a child or cause a child to be disobedient to God.
Just to make sure that fathers understand this, Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:4, "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord."
There must not be anything or anyone that comes between the family and the love each has for the other. Walt Disney said, “A man should never neglect his family for business.” It has also been said, “A family who plays together, stays together” or “A family who prays together stays together.”
During regular times we would understand that this means that the best times for families can be vacations, ballgames, concerts, dance recitals, county fairs, camping trips, collecting lightning bugs, eating dinner, praying, praising Jesus, helping a stranger, giving food to a hungry person, visiting the nursing home, reading the Bible, sharing Jesus, hugging, holding hands, and saying, “I love you.”
We understand that during these uncertain times, we cannot do many of these activities, but the most important ones we can still do. And we can make them even more special.
Maya Angelou said it well when she said, “I sustain myself with the love of family.” Being sustained by the love of a family is a comfort that will take away the fear of loneliness and replace it with peace knowing I’m loved by someone willing to always be there for me. It will also take away depression and replace it with joy and hope.
Our family is a gift. Let’s never take it for granted. Let’s love unconditionally. Let’s never allow ourselves to be so upset with our siblings, parents, or other relatives, that we stop talking to them. Our family is too precious to stay alienated, so make every effort to mend relationships.
Let’s remember, in Jesus; our family is forever. But here on earth, one day sooner than we can imagine, the people in our family will not be around to share laughter, to swap hugs, or to sit on the front porch and chat for hours simply. Let’s not neglect this precious gift God wants to be a place of blessing and safety.
Let’s make sure that as far as is possible with us, our family is a place for love to grow and us to know that each is precious and appreciated. If you happen to be in a situation where your physical family cannot be that, make sure you build one with your spiritual family in Jesus!
That is a wrap for today’s question. Join us again next Friday for another question on our Ask Gramps episode. Our next trek is Mediation Monday, where we will help you reflect on what is most important in life. So encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along on Monday for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.
If you would like to listen to any of the past 1352 daily treks or read the associated journals, they are all available at Wisdom-Trek.com. I encourage you to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on your favorite podcast player so that each day will be downloaded to you automatically.
Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most importantly, your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.
As we take this trek together, let us always:
- Live Abundantly (Fully)
- Love Unconditionally
- Listen Intentionally
- Learn Continuously
- Lend to others Generously
- Lead with Integrity
- Leave a Living Legacy Each Day
I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you on Monday!