Quote:
Originally Posted by PriestlyScribe
QUESTION [from a brother in the audience named Andrew]
"I don't know how to best express this, but I have a question concerning the balance between a life of consecration and being "Jesusly" human. And you know, as a parent of three children, and I think many of us, we all want to see our children live a normal human life, and to be gained for the lord in the church life. But on the other hand, as part of the church life, there are many constraints on our time. And there's meetings and there is service. This is something I have been grappling with - how do we care for our families in the proper [way]? I mean, you shared some of this, but I'd like to hear a little bit more concerning this... And I know that, you know, even our children, the Lord has their own course for them. And they may not all make it into the church life. But I have seen many who have been so given for the church life that sometimes the children suffer, and I don't want to go to either extreme. But this is just my nature, I think it's the nature of brothers especially to go to an extreme..."[/B]
ANSWER from Ron Kangas: "The first thing I would say is we need to re-affirm the priority - and that is, we are here seeking the Kingdom first. And first is Christ and the church. If we invert that, and family replaces the church as a priority, we're cutting ourselves off from the Lord's blessing. So the priority is Christ and the church is first, and that's based upon Christ as the burnt offering. This is settled..."
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PriestlyScribe, we are here for a purpose. I would agree with Ron, Christ is first. Not having listened to all 8 points of fellowship, under what context did Ron refer to the church as? Is it the church as the Body or the church as a unit of congregation?
Ultimately our desire is to see the kingdom age ushered in, but until that time arrives we still have a human life to live and as a father I still need to nurture my children so they might know Christ not only objectively, but experientially.
Our children are a blessing from God and a responsibility I cannot take lightly. As the church we should spread the gospel and build up the Body, at home is the gospel field for parents. It's at home where the spouse and children can see how much Christ is truly lived out.
Terry