How joyful are those who fear the Lord- all who follow his ways! You will enjoy the fruit of your labor. How joyful and prosperous you will be! Your wife will be like a fruitful grapevine, flourishing within your home.
Your children will be like vigorous young olive trees as they sit around your table. That is the Lord 's blessing for those who fear him. (Psalm 128:1-4 NLT)
Our relationship with God has a direct effect on others. Often times we forget this. We think in terms of our "personal relationship" with God when we think about what it means to follow Christ. But 1st John tells us that if we don't love our brother then we don't really love God either. So the way we treat others affect our relationship with God. The two are not separate, they are linked.
This Psalm teaches us this very biblical idea but this time more specifically with regards to our families. Our relationship with God affects our spouse & our kids. This is especially true of fathers, whom this Psalm is referring to. When fathers love God, they bless their spouse & kids. The opposite can be inferred as well. When fathers don't love God, their households reap the consequences.
The conclusion for us is, if we want the best for our family, it's not found first & foremost in loving them, but rather loving God. It's not primarily found in us giving them things but in us giving them God. It's not so much focused on us being the best parent as it is being the best follower of Jesus. Because who we are as fathers comes from how well we know Jesus. How well we love & provide for our family comes from how well Jesus loves & provides for us. How well we serve our family comes out of how much we have been served by Jesus.
So, yes, we should read parenting books & strive to give our kids & spouse the best of us, but Jesus must have our best first!
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