Just returning from my fourth journey to Israel and I will be sharing information to you as I feel led to do so. I want to make some observations about the family as I saw it in Israel. I have not had a conversation with a Jewish family about family life, so understand this is purely observation.
Our group went all over the country of Israel and we saw the same thing over and over again concerning the family and also friendships, whether they were in a restaurant, mall, going to the synagogue or staying at our hotel, my traveling companions noticed that no one was talking on their cell phones. The families gave complete attention to their families. There are young families and babies all over the country (I haven’t seen so many strollers in my life) and we noticed father, mother and children walking together. I’m not sure if they have baby mama drama, but I didn’t see any signs of brokenness in the families.
On our flight, there were many children and babies traveling to Israel for the Holy Days. The children were being children and their noise didn’t seem to bother their parents at all. There were no “shut your mouth” or spankings for the small children talking. The children in front of me had toys and coloring books to keep them occupied during the long flight. Everyone seemed to take responsibility to make sure the children were happy, not just those related to them. Fathers appeared to give equal attention to the children as their wives. At our hotel during mealtimes, no one used cell phones and the families communicated with one another. Their family time appears to be very important to them. Watching the Jewish families reminded me of my childhood and the era I grew up in.
I remember as a child growing up in Chicago, that the neighbors assisted one another in the care of the children. If one of us was out of order, then our neighbors would step in and discipline us if our parents were not around and then would tell our parents what happened and we had to face disciplinary measures from our parents, as well. If our teachers had to discipline us, again our parents would get on us as well. Children knew they belonged to a community of people who cared for them.
The only place I see this community of discipline is at Church. The Church is the only place where children still feel the love of everyone around them. The church nurtures and love on all the children and the children feel the love which is wonderful for their well being to grow into stable adults. I bless the Church for loving on its children. In my Church, the young children think everyone belongs to them and expect to be loved by all the adults. The Body of Christ knows how important it is to love children for Jesus revealed to us through His Word, "to suffer not the little children to come to Him for such is the kingdom of Heaven." These children learn how to love by the way they are loved.
I grieve when I hear of churches that have abused children and scarred them for life. Our families are the most valuable commodity we have in our lives. If we would apply God’s word to our family lives, we will know how rich we are and how complete love is.
I went to the mall one day and saw four teen girlfriends sitting at a table together eating and all four girls were on cell phones the entire time they sat eating, making calls to other people as if they were eating alone. If young fathers are in the home, they come home from work and fix their plates and sit in front of the television or play a game, as he reaches over and grab another bite, totally ignoring his family. Moms pick their children up from daycare and come home to prepare food while they send text messages to their friends or check out face book, while the kids run around or watch television. Family time has become a time to sit in front of the television and watch a movie; but no communication or hugging the children. It is easy for the family to breakdown, because they never really became one to begin with. Everyone do what is right in their own eyes, by fulfilling their own desires.
Marriages are operating in very strange ways today and no one seems to know what is the right way. Husbands are weak and not godly rulers over their homes, providing love, security, financial, emotional nor spiritual stability. Wives are ruling the households and doing whatever they want to do and not caring for their man or building the home. A wise woman builds her home. There is no sense of covenant between husband and wife. Men and women are chasing the almighty dollar instead of Almighty God, We are designing families, marriages and friendships to work the way we want them to work for our convenience, but God has a standard and if we are not lining our families, marriages and relationships up with the word of God, then we will find no happiness, fulfillment nor joy in our relationships.
Satan has finally found a way to destroy relationships and that is through selfishness. The American family is in distress. No more are people willing to sacrifice their time for the sake of another…that is love. We are truly living in a time of selfishness run rampant. I pray that you will read this article and take a look at your family structure, then pick up your Bible, open and read it and see if they match. if you are living your Christianity and it is pleasing to God, then God bless you, but if you are not, repent and get things moving to line up with His Word. May the peace of God be on you as you work on family life.
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