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By Marnita Coleman, Special to AFRO
In the beginning, when God made this world, He created mankind in His image and likeness, and wrapped him in a bodily form. They were male and female, two entities, husband and wife, yet one; just as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three personalities, yet one God, individuals but also a family.
Then, He blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign….” (Genesis 1:26)
Look at the power and authority that God gave to us. He created strong, self-governed, rulers and made them a family. I dropped this bit of history to remind you that the family was designed to be the dominant influence in the earth, not the man-made governments of the world.
When I was pregnant with my first child, I was terrified because I felt alone. I saw the pitfalls of raising a family in a chaotic world. I didn’t have a support system to rely upon, as my mom was deceased, my father was ashamed because I was unmarried (he eventually got over it) my grandparents lived in another state, and I had no mentor. I didn’t have a lot of experience with children and I had zero knowledge of how to care for a baby. So, I read everything I could on parenthood because I wanted my family to have a good life.
If you don’t have a vision for your family, you may fall prey to the ways of the world, which is often an “anything goes” mentality. There are videos, books, conferences, and so-called parenting gurus that will offer you their advice, however, to make the best choice, you have to know what is right for your family.
I decided to raise my family in the Christian faith. I personally believed in God, but I was not living up to His standards. I was doing whatever I was grown enough to do, but I knew better was possible, and I wanted it for my family. I prayed and asked God to be my help and support, and He answered me! (Sidebar: God loves us and is there to help us.) He gave me wisdom on how to raise my children. He provided for us when there was a shortage. He directed the paths of my children in so many ways, including daycare, friends, schools, neighborhoods, activities, and so on.
As we look around today, we can see the desolation of the family. Fathers are not in the home, mothers are overwhelmed, and children are out of control because of the lack of leadership and direction. If we refocus and allow God to lead us, He will do it!
In the bible, Psalm 127 speaks to us loud and clear. Like GPS, God desires to get us to our destination. He’s shouting, “turn around!” God created our family and knows the path we should take. King Solomon said, “If GOD doesn’t build the house [or family], the builders only build shacks. If GOD doesn’t guard the city, the night watchman might as well nap…”
God is saying, I got you! Stop trying to raise your family all by yourself. I have plans for you, plans that are good and not evil to give you hope and a good future (Jeremiah 29:11). There may be some rough terrain ahead. Things maybe a little crazy right now, but don’t worry, I know the way through all of it. Trust me.
As a parent, don’t throw your hands in the air and give up. Fight for your family and keep your faith in God. I was a single parent before I got married. It was hard at times, but, I stayed with God, and He kept us from failing. Here is a simple prayer to pray over your family every day.
“Father, in Jesus Name, I ask You to build my family.
Help me to cooperate with Your plans for us.
Make our lives beautiful and amazing beyond our dreams.”
Now, give God thanks because nothing is too hard or impossible with God. Be patient and watch Him bring it to pass!
Marnita Coleman is an author and host of The Marnita Show, a parenting show heard daily across the globe. For more information, log onto TheMarnitaShow.com.
The opinions on this page are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the AFRO. Send letters to The Afro-American • 1531 S. Edgewood St. Baltimore, MD 21227 or fax to 1-877-570-9297 or e-mail to [email protected]
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