Matthew 22:37 "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." Genesis 2:24 "A man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." Ephesians 6:1 "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right."

Think

Have you ever had to jump-start your car because the battery was dead? If you have, you know that it's very important to attach the cables to the terminals in the correct order. If you don't, you can do major damage to your car. The correct order is the key to success. The same is true in the family. God has given us an intentional order for the family: God + marriage + kids! When we begin to get things out of order, we can experience some serious damage! The most important relationship in the family is a man and woman's relationship with God, both individually and as a couple. This relationship directly impacts the next priority: the couple's marriage relationship. And this relationship forms the foundation for the last stop - the kids. Any other order apart from God + marriage + kids does not lead to success. Putting kids first is always a recipe for chaos. Placing God at the tail end is most certainly unwise. But when you align your marriage under God's rule, build your relationship as husband and wife, and then train your children in the ways of God, you are positioning your family to navigate any challenge that comes your way. God + marriage + kids = success!

 

Act

Evaluate your family. Does it line up with God's order? If not, what's an action step – whether you are single or married – that you can take today?

 

Pray

Dear God, My family will align with Your order. I put You first and live under Your authority. Give me the wisdom to be what I need to be to my spouse and kids, so they, too, can line up in your proven order of success. In Jesus' name, Amen.