“Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it…” (Psalm 127:1)
While this expression might apply to anything that God’s people build, when you read the following verses of this Psalm (vs. 3-5), it seems clear that the word “house” refers to a household or a home, that is, a family. One of the greatest problems in our world today is that too many homes and families are not built by the Lord, that is, they are not built according to the principles which God has laid out in His Word. We can understand why this is true of unbelieving families, but it is sad to say the same problem exists in Christian homes as well. Statistics show that the divorce rate for Christian marriages is about the same as for unbelievers.
In his letter to the Colossian saints, the apostle Paul addresses the issue of God’s principles for godly homes and families. While he covers these issues in more detail in his letter to the Ephesians, we can learn a great deal from looking at the brief statements found in Colossians. Paul condenses God’s principles for home and family to the key responsibilities for each member of the family: the wife, the husband, children, and parents.
“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them. Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.” (Col. 3:18-21)
