On a recent trip, my wife and I stayed in a hotel. I noticed a label on the TV remote: “This will not work in the home.”
I thought of other things that will not work in the home.
- Selfishness—A family cannot work based on “Big me, little you.” Marriage and parenting both require sacrifice and love (1 Corinthians 7:4; Ephesians 5:25; 6:1–4).
- Dishonesty—Honesty is not the best policy; it is the only policy. Many families are unstable because they are dishonest with each other. An extramarital affair divides a home. Jesus said, “Every city or house divided against itself will not stand” (Matthew 12:25).
- Rebellion—Rebels displease God (1 Samuel 15:22). A rebellious home is neither happy nor functional. Children who respect parents have far fewer problems than rebels (Ephesians 6:2–3).
- Permissiveness—Children often rule the roost. Parents back away from firm rules and discipline because they fear they will damage their children’s self-esteem. Children need discipline in order to become mature adults. The Bible still says, “He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly” (Proverbs 13:24).
- Secularization—In times past, parents feared God, read the Bible, and followed morality in the home. There was a healthy fear of eternal punishment. These days, however, the perpetual influence of television brings a postmodern philosophy of “anything goes” and “people do not matter much.” Grappling with issues of right and wrong does not occur in some homes because, according to many, right and wrong no longer exist.
Like the hotel TV remote, these things will not work in the home.
“A wise man… built his house on the rock.” – Matthew 7:24
