Fight for Your Family It Takes a Tribe

Fight for Your Family

It Takes a Tribe

You and I cannot build a wall strong enough by ourselves to protect our families

It takes a tribe to raise a family

A tribe with the same values

Those values are laid with lives of moral character

 Stones of values will never hold up without moral character

Don’t try to raise your family alone

Get involved and your family involved in a church where

Godly values are taught

And people of moral character are at work

 

It Takes a Tribe

We say in our family…

 “It takes a tribe to raise a family.”

Sandy and I have longed to be grandparents

 years before that was even possible.

Maybe it was because both of us have

wonderful memories of our grandparents.

As our children began to start

their families, we told them…

“We do not want to be

parents of your children.”

We don’t want to raise them

by being a ‘full time’ babysitter.

We do not want to be responsible

for the discipline they need.

Being grandparents

has worked well for us.

Our lives and home are a very

special place the grandchildren love.

I don’t like to think that we spoil them,

 but Sandy has a sign in our home that says…

“Nana and Papa’s place where grandchildren are spoiled.”

We are blessed that all of our children

live less than 5 miles from our house.

Raising children is a full time responsibility.

Sadly, for most families, it takes two full time

jobs to meet the financial needs of the family.

The older the children get, the more active

they become with school, church and jobs.

These things can run parents ragged.

Sandy and I have found it necessary for

us and our children to work together.

Every Sunday after church when all our

children and grandchildren come over for the day…

      

We eat together, play games,

talk and just enjoy each other.

But each week it almost always comes up,

 a time of talking about logistics…

As how to working together as a tribe

to meet the family needs for that week.

It seems the Bible understands…

“It takes a tribe to raise a family.”

All the long list of genealogies

of names we cannot pronounce…

The grouping of the 12 tribe of Israel.

Even Nehemiah had the families

building the wall in groups of families.

Nehemiah, as he surveyed the wall, saw

there were areas where there were gaps.

It took families to help other

families to get the wall completed.

All that Sandy and I do for our

family has never been enough.

As Sandy and I were building our family,

 we joined hands with other families.

We worked around a common goal.

“As for me and my house

we will serve the Lord.”

We worked with other families to have

classes and activities in the church

for not only our children, but others.

We joined to build Christian

schools and homeschooling.

We planned fun events so our children would

have safe places to go and build safe relationships.

It takes a tribe to raise a family.

Who is in your tribe?

I hope it is the church…

That you and others are building walls

around the temple of the Lord.

  A safe place for families to share life together.

A place where love and godly values are

not only thought, but lived out and

seen in action by developing children.

The way your family shares life

with others will make a difference.

Everyone has a PBS…

 Personal Belief System.

It is clear to see families are failing.

You and I have friends whose PBS

does not include the values you have.

We are all influenced by others.

Think about it…

 Your life, your children’s lives

are developed by influence.

  Everybody has influence, whether

their influence is good or bad.

We all are looking for someone to look up to.

We are all shaped by what others say and do.

The Bible says it this way…

Do not be misled:

"Bad company corrupts good character."

1 Corinthians 15:33

The opposite is also true.

Like Nehemiah…

 We are building a wall, the stones that

are laid are the values we uphold.

You and I cannot build a wall strong

enough by ourselves to protect our families.

It takes a tribe to raise a family.

A tribe with the same values.

Those values are laid with lives of moral character.

 Stones of values will never

hold up without moral character.

Don’t try to raise your family alone.

 Get involved and your family

involved in a church where…

Godly values are taught.

And people of moral character are at work.

Scripture Reading

Nehemiah 4:12-15 NIV

12 Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, "Wherever you turn, they will attack us."

13 Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows. 14 After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, "Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes."

15 When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to his own work.