Family

The First commandment

Matthew 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. KJV

If we desire for our family to love us and each other and to be righteous then we must first show ourselves righteous before God. If our ways are selfish, wicked in any way then that is the way our children may adopt.

I have found that the first commandment can be hard for us to keep. One may say it is not but ask yourself who you love more God or your family. I say this from my own experience for I believe I may have put my love for my wife and children above my love for God. Even though this is human nature to love and desire that which we can see, hold, hear, and experience on earth it is not Gods nature. Human nature is what we must overcome.

I know it is easy to say or think this is something that God will understand and will pardon but I have seen firsthand that it is not the case. For all the love I have for them has been in vain and brought us to ruin. At this time I do not have my wife and children. We have been apart for over a year now. I should be able to say down to the minute how long it has been but I had to quit counting because the pain has been so great. I have come to see that though I put my love for them first like so many of us have done in with our own families, it is selfishness. Though I feel I have loved them first it could be that I have loved me first and desired them for myself. Whatever the cause or justification it is still against the will and commandment of God our father who deserves our love first.

If we follow God's commandments then we will do right in His sight and bring the happiness and contentment we desire for our families. Remember love is the most important, even the foundation of all the God given commandments so it is necessary that we follow them correctly. After all it is by the grace of God that we have our families, our lives, and all the other blessings that come our way.

Mark 12:28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? 29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: 30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. 32 And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: 33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. 34 And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question. KJV