WE ARE NOT THE OSBOURNES!

Ephesians 6:1-4
1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 "Honor your father and mother"--which is the first commandment with a promise--3 "that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth." 4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

The Osbournes is a reality-TV family of daunting popularity that features drug-addled dinosaur rocker Ozzy Osbourne and his real-life wife, son, and daughter. Much to the satisfaction of MTV, every obscenity brings more viewers, making the weekly "Ozzyfest" one of the most popular shows on cable. What was once considered unmentionable, now constitutes entertainment.

Read Ephesians 6:1-4. The apostle Paul said we can resurrect the functional family in the community of faith as children and parents fulfill their divine responsibilities. Children are to obey and honor their parents. Parents are to inspire their children through consistent and God-honoring instruction and are not to make them angry by taking unfair advantage of them. When we fulfill our divine responsibilities, three significant things happen:

We recognize God-ordained authority and blessings. Parents are God's representatives of authority here on earth, and children are God's wonderful blessings to parents. Parents have the authority because God has given it to them. Children are a blessing because God has called them so (Psalm 128). When children and parents fulfill their roles, they acknowledge God's authority and His blessings in their lives.

We reveal our worship to God. When children and parents fulfill their divine roles, they bring pleasure to God. In the Jewish community, obeying and honoring parents was second only to honoring God. The family relationship between parents and children is an opportunity to carry out our obedience and worship to the Lord.

We represent God in a godless culture. Children and parents who fulfill their responsibilities reveal God's way and repel the philosophy that says it's cool to be the Osbournes.

When we live out our divine roles, we put an end to the conflict between parents and children, but we also preserve
the distinctiveness of God's people. We live under His blessing and become candidates for success, prosperity, and longevity from God. --Marvin Williams

DESTINATION POINTS

* How is my family doing in living out our God-ordained roles? How can I encourage them more?
* In what ways do I need to obey and honor my parents more?
* How can I make the Bible a bigger part of my family?

LINKS:
My Family's Falling Apart
http://www.christianitytoday.com/cl/8c4/8c4038.html

Watch The Osbournes?
http://www.christianitytoday.com/cl/2002/005/20.37.html

bottom line: The family is God's idea.

soul journey