Putting God First Puts Family First

“And it was so, when the days of [their] feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings [according] to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.” (Job 1:5 AV)

Devotion to family before the LORD is measured by action, not by emotion.  What we do for our children, in the area of spiritual growth, is the measure of our own righteousness.  Job, knowing that his children gathered (without inviting him and mom) may have swerved into the inappropriate.  The first thing he did was to call his children to him, sanctified them, then offered with them offerings to cover any and all sin which they may have swerved into.  One cannot help but see a church age application here.

The first thing on their return was not fellowship.  The first thing upon their return was not a family day, a picnic, or a meal together.  The first thing on the agenda for Dad to see to was the family worship together!  Dad did not sit them down and visit with them to reacquaint himself to his family.  He did not have the boys go out and check the family business; tending to the flocks or harvesting the fields.  Dad did not skip out on the daily sacrifice because his sons were in town and he rarely gets to see them.

No!  This man of God whose righteousness exceeds the righteousness of all but Christ, knew the most important thing for family was to be right with God!  There is a lesson here!  We make all sorts of excuses why family comes before the LORD.  But unless we are tending to the spiritual welfare of our families, but rather, entertaining or caring for their emotional or physical ‘needs’, then we really don’t care as much for our families as we claim!  There is no better extension of our love towards our families than to make their relationship with the LORD the number one concern.  Being in church and requiring of them the same is the greatest thing a parent can do for his children and grandchildren.  Serving the LORD is church and soul-winning is the greatest thing a parent can do for his kids.  Not a trip to the park, museum, or shopping.  Not play time, not work time, not social time!  GOD TIME!