Protecting The Family

Genesis 29:20 – So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed unto him but a few days because of the love he had for her. (KJV)

Everywhere I look around me, I see families falling apart. Being witness to so many family break-ups is quite a devastating experience. To sit in a room with two people who once were "in love", and see them argue about how their child should be raised, is one of the saddest things that I have ever witnessed. It really saddens my heart to see any family fall apart, but when it happens to someone you know, it is even more difficult to watch.

Perhaps if everyone had to work and serve for seven years, as Jacob did for Rachel, or even seven months, in order to be united with the one they love, they might then realize the importance of that love and union. We need God's help to instil the type of love that Jacob expressed for Rachel into the families of today. This is a self-sacrificing love that endures all things.

It seems to me that we need to protect our families, just like the people who protect endangered forests and endangered animals. It is our families that are our most precious and important resource, since the family unit determines the direction in which a child may go. We can also look to our families for support and encouragement when times get difficult.

What can we do to help protect our families? We can pray each day for families in our land and in our community, and work to encourage and help those who may not realize the importance of the family, or whose family may be in danger. We can show by example what the family should be, and the joys that come from strong family ties and relations.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, author and perfecter of love, we ask that you help us to spread your perfect love and make it an integral part of our lives and to restore the sacred institution of the family. Amen.