“But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” – Joshua 24:15b
The manifestation of a “family” is as diverse as humans are from one another. Similar qualities and traits outline them all, yet quirks, idiosyncrasies, traditions, and backgrounds make defining what family is as great a task as counting the grains of sand on the shore.
There are, to be sure, certain qualities that a family is not. (More on this in Chapter 6: What to Do When Your Family Is Toxic.) What differentiates the inseparable friend group from the disheveled home of a couple barely holding on to hope? How do we differentiate the bonds between our co-workers from those between our siblings?
Simply being close does not make you family. And simply defining something as family does not inherently build closeness.
What Is a Family?
A family, by nature of God’s design, is formed around a covenant commitment. Two (and in rare cases, several) individuals separating from their family of origin to join together in a beautiful endeavor of making their own.
When a man and woman embrace the sacred union of marriage. When grandparents assume parental rights for their grandchild to save them from a broken home. When a couple unable to bear their own children adopts one as their own.
Each one a family, with a common thread of commitment that they don’t make to anyone outside the family—each one unique, bringing a myriad of thoughts, feelings, and emotions (drawn from both burdens of the past and hopes for the future).
Building a Strong Family Foundation
Understanding what makes a family is the blueprint for laying a strong foundation for it. We must operate with God’s glorious design in mind, while making margin for how humanity has shifted over thousands of years (including as a result of brokenness). God has accounted for all of these variables and wants us to embrace the sense of family He established in the garden.
The most unified, determined, and resilient families put Jesus as the Cornerstone of their lives, building everything off of Him. They recognize the commitment that comes with covenant living, including (read: especially) when we don’t want to. And above all, they receive the responsibility of leaving behind a legacy that cascades into the coming generations.
Families may come in many shapes and sizes, born from the expected or the unexpected. Yet they all, at their core, have one goal: to reflect the glory of God. Whether your home is your typical reflection of suburban living or a beautiful tapestry of individuals who rally together under one banner despite hardships, God sees your family and wants it to flourish.
And if you honor Him, He will honor you.
