His Blueprint

The building metaphor is a rich and powerful one for families.  Think about what it takes to build.  It takes a plan, materials, tools, and labor.  If any element is missing, then nothing gets built.  God’s word is our blueprint for building our families.  Without it, the effort of building is pointless.  While the blueprint is available to all of us, we must be willing to follow it.  There is a high price for not following the plans of God.  Jeremiah 6:19 (NASB) states, "Hear, O earth: behold, I am bringing disaster on this people, The fruit of their plans, Because they have not listened to My words, And as for My law, they have rejected it also.”
The quality of what is built is determined to a large degree by the quality of the building materials.  The foundation must be built upon the solid rock of Jesus, not on the shifting sands of society.  We must work to keep our families focused on what God values and not on what our culture says is important. 

Quality construction also depends on the proper use of tools to assemble the materials.  God’s blueprint calls for our families to be built with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  When paired with the tools of healthy communication, conflict resolution, and forgiveness strong families are built. 

​As you go throughout the week, ask yourself some reflective questions.  Will I commit/re-commit to using the word of God as the blueprint for my life?  What materials and tools do I need to strengthen me and my family?  What three things will I do differently for the next three weeks to help strengthen me and my family?