Attitude of Gratitude IV

Today my gratitude is for my family. My wife, children, grandchildren, parents, siblings, and more. I am grateful that my family is still healthy. We don't get together as often as we would like, but we still communicate often. 

So what does the Bible say about family? The physical family is the most important building block to human society, and as such, it should be nurtured and protected. Proverbs 17:17 tells us that "A friend loves at all times, and a relative is born to help in adversity." Friends come and go, but family sticks with you during the hardest of times.

The concept of family is extremely important in the Bible. The concept of family was introduced in the very beginning...The very first people on earth formed a family. From the beginning, God blessed and encouraged families, commanding Adam and Eve to “be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth” (Genesis 1:28). The example of Adam and Eve shows us that families are of God. 

A few well-known examples of families in the Bible are found early in the Old Testament. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all followed God’s command to marry and have children. Abraham went to great lengths to protect his wife, Sarah (see Genesis 12), and exercised faith to finally enjoy the blessings that came with having his son Isaac (see Genesis 21). Under the Lord’s direction, Abraham’s servant traveled a long distance to find Rebekah, a righteous woman, to be Isaac’s wife (see Genesis 24). And Isaac’s son Jacob worked for many years in order to marry and establish his own family, which became the house of Israel (see Genesis 29–30).

We also see early on that family members were to look after and care for one another. When God asks Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" Cain’s response is the flippant "Am I my brother’s keeper?" The implication is that, yes, Cain was expected to be Abel’s keeper and vice versa. 

The Bible has a more communal sense of people and family... When God saved Noah from the flood, it wasn’t an individual salvation, but a salvation for him, his wife, his sons and his sons’ wives. In other words, his family was saved (Genesis 6:18). When God called Abraham out of Haran, He called him and his family (Genesis 12:4-5). 

The importance of family can be seen in God's Commandments, two of the Ten Commandments deal with maintaining the cohesiveness of the family. The fifth commandment regarding honoring parents is meant to preserve the authority of parents in family matters, and the seventh commandment prohibiting adultery protects the sanctity of marriage. These two commandments seek to protect marriage and the family. The health of the family was important to God.

So how has Covid-19 and the resulting implications affected a family? Covid-19 has certainly changed the ability to get together, but I think that the pandemic and the resulting quarantines has actually worked to strengthen family ties.

In a recent survey of 2,000 Americans — of which about 1,200 were parents — respondents were asked about their time sheltering in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the perks of being surrounded by family.

From developmental milestones to simple heart to hearts, three-quarters of parents polled experienced a key moment, which they otherwise may have missed, with their children while in lockdown.

Some other findings:

• The survey found 66 percent of those surveyed said the pandemic has brought them closer to their family than ever before.
• It’s no surprise that 77 percent of respondents were also in agreement that they’ve enjoyed spending more time with the members of their household.
• The survey also found respondents have learned a lot about their families while sheltering in place as well.
• Nearly half of respondents admitted they didn’t really know what their significant other’s job was before they began working from home during self-isolation.
• Seventy-nine percent of parents surveyed said they’ve also learned more about their children’s hobbies and passions during this time.
• While another 77 percent of parents said their children have become more open to learning new things around the house and trying new activities.
• In fact, 31 percent of those surveyed said they’ve taught a family member a new skill while they’ve been in quarantine.
• Seven in 10 respondents also shared their increased time indoors has been a wake-up call for them to focus on their families’ unhealthy habits.
• Forty-one percent of those polled said they’ve added more priority to eating meals as a family during their time in isolation.

These all sound like good things, coming out of a bad situation. Remember Romans 8:28

I hope that you are blessed with family. Even if not surrounded by family during these times, I pray that you have the ability to converse and see each other even if only via the phone or internet.